Duty
by Nandireya
Summary: A slightly alternate universe...in order to keep the Fire Nation wolf from his door, Arnook suggests a peaceful resolution...a marriage between his daughter and the Fire Lord's son...
1. Chapter 1

It was unusual to see Fire Lord Ozai off his throne while there was a meeting in the War Chamber, but his pent up aggression had forced him to his feet to pace the length of the room in order to dispel some of it.

"Ever since the boy won that Agni Kai he has become more and more…difficult…" He growled to no one in particular. "I knew I should have challenged him myself…"

"The Prince is popular with the troops." One of the council members, Ozai never bothered to learn their names, said softly.

"Because he sees them as individuals…" Another general said coldly. "Not as a tool to be used for our continued glory."

"And that is what makes him dangerous." Commander Zhao, one of the few commanding officers the Fire Lord knew by name, one of the few he actually respected, said. "He could rally them if he chose…attempt a coup…make a play for the throne."

"The Prince is loyal to the Fire Lord…" The first shook his head. "He would never seek to usurp him."

"Perhaps…the boy _DOES_ have an overdeveloped sense of honour…" Zhao agreed with narrowed eyes. "But his…views…are growing popular within the lower ranks…though I am at a loss as to how they have found out about them. He is a thorn in the Fire Lord's side…a thorn that needs to be removed…"

"What exactly are you suggesting, Commander?" The second general demanded. "A threat against a member of the royal family is treason."

"I was not making a threat." Zhao snorted. "I am merely suggesting that we find a way to focus the boy's energy elsewhere…"

"But to what…to where?" The first general frowned. "He shows little interest in anything beyond his training and the war…"

"And the wellbeing of the troops." Another snorted.

"Tell me…" The Fire Lord said softly, almost menacingly. "Thinking of him not as _WHO_ he is, but rather _WHAT_ he is…a teenager. What is it that will most easily distract a teenaged boy?"

The assembled council members exchanged a series of puzzled glances.

"A teenaged girl…?" One finally suggested.

"Precisely." Ozai smiled. He stalked off to the base of his throne and retrieved a scrap of parchment, a broken seal of blue wax still clinging to its outer curl.

"I had not even considered this worthy of my time…" His lip curled as he scanned the lines written on the rough paper. "An offer of a peaceful resolution from the Northern Water Tribe…"

He threw the parchment on to the map the council was seated around. Zhao retrieved it, reading quickly. "They honestly think this…virgin sacrifice…will do them any good?" He snorted as he let it drop from his fingers. "Do they really believe you would taint your bloodline with the ridiculous suggestion? The very idea is ludicrous!"

The cold general frowned as he read the parchment. "Prince Zuko is a fiercely independent young man…" He noted. "Even if you did except this offer, my Lord, that does not mean the Prince will…"

"Oh…he'll agree." Ozai smiled. "As you said…" He glanced at Zhao. "…he has an overdeveloped sense of honour…"

He retrieved the parchment, scanning its lines again.

"He will do his duty."

* * *

"You summoned me, Father?" Prince Zuko bowed reverently to the Fire Lord as he entered the War Chamber.

"Yes." The Fire Lord beamed, an act that immediately put the young prince on edge. His father rarely smiled, and when he did, Zuko knew from experience, it was never a good thing.

"What would you say if I told you we could conquer the Northern Water Tribe without doing them any harm or risking any of our loyal men?"

"Is such a thing possible?" Zuko frowned.

"Easily." His father assured him.

"Well…of course…" Zuko said, still not sure what his father angle was. "If there is a way for us to conquer without bloodshed then we should take it…our efforts can be concentrated elsewhere…in fact…"

"I'm very glad you feel that way, my son…" His father slapped him on the shoulder with rarely experienced camaraderie, effectively silencing the boy. He turned to one of the generals. "Send word to the Northern Water Tribe's chief…" He paused as he tried to remember the man's name.

"Arnook…" The general supplied, reading it from the now much handled parchment.

"Yes…of course…" Ozai waved it off. "Your bride should be here by week's end." He glanced back over his shoulder to catch his son's reaction as he continued towards his throne. He wasn't disappointed as the boy's eyes widened and the colour drained from his already pale face.

"My _WHAT_?" He boggled…surely he hadn't heard that right…

The Fire Lord arranged himself with great fastidiousness, smoothing out his robes before replying to his son.

"How else did you think we were going to manage such a thing without loss of life?" He questioned. "It is an ages old tactic…a tradition almost…unite two lands…by uniting the royal offspring…" He held up his index fingers as he spoke, bringing them together, then lacing them with his other fingers to illustrate his point. "And as this…" He clicked his fingers for the name.

"Arnook…"

"…has a sixteen-year-old daughter…the honour…the duty…falls to you…"

Zuko lowered his head as he absorbed the implication of what his father was telling him, what he was expecting of him. He was barely sixteen himself, he didn't know if he was ready for this, didn't know if he even wanted this. But he was the prince, and though that afforded him certain privileges, it also burdened him with certain obligations.

He sighed deeply.

"As you wish, Father…"

* * *

_Avatar: The Last Airbender_ and all related characters are © of Bryan Konietzko, Michael DiMartino, Nickelodeon and Viacom International Inc 


	2. Chapter 2

"Do you think this wise, Arnook?" Pakku voiced his concerns as their small fleet approached the Fire Nation capital. "This bay is a trap waiting to be sprung." He noted gesturing to the peninsulas on either side of them. "And their navy is the most advanced in the world…if they were to launch an offensive…"

"We have the Fire Lord's word that we will come to no harm." Arnook interrupted him.

"And what is that worth?!" Pakku snorted.

"Quite a bit, actually." The Northern Water Tribe's chief told him. "No matter what else these people may be, honour is of utmost importance to them…their word is their bond…"

"So why is it you are accompanied by your best warriors and waterbenders?" Pakku arced a brow.

"In order to know peace you must be prepared for war." Arnook smiled. "It never hurts to have a little back up, my friend."

"And how is the princess?" He asked.

Arnook sighed deeply. "She is not speaking to me." He admitted.

"Which in itself speaks volumes."

Pakku glanced at Arnook's troubled face. He knew what his chief was going through. He had already lost his wife to these devils, now he was about to lose his daughter as well, a sacrifice to some hormonal young prince. Even though it had been his suggestion, even though he knew it was for the greater good, for the survival of his people, it still weighed heavily on his heart.

"She knows I did not come to this decision lightly. She will do her duty…" He sighed again. "I only hope he treats her well…"

"I'm sure he will." Pakku said.

"And what makes you so sure of that?" Arnook turned to him.

"You said they prize honour…that their word is their bond…the ceremony will no doubt involve vows of love and fidelity…vows which he will be honour bound to obey."

Arnook smiled and slapped a hand on the old waterbender's shoulder. Then he turned his attention back to the rapidly growing city spread out before them. Cast in the colours of fire…red, black and gold…it was as terrifying as it was awe-inspiring.

"Now…can you come up with a theory to stop me missing her?"

* * *

Zuko turned the scarlet ribbon over and over in his hands. The simple band had held his hair for as long as he could remember…hair that was now being brushed to within an inch of its life. He winced as the brush found another snarl, he'd rarely brushed it in the past, usually opting just to run his fingers through it, and the part that had been hidden within the binding hadn't seen the light of day in years.

He almost cheered when the hairdresser, a middle-aged woman with surprisingly ropey muscles, set the brush aside, until she picked up a bottle of some kind of oily liquid. She poured some on her hands and began to work it through his unruly locks.

Well…at least it smelled nice…

He looked at himself in the highly polished bronze mirror noting that for a man about to get married he didn't look very happy. But then it wasn't like he wanted to get married...commoners married out of love, royalty were rarely afforded that luxury.

"Ah…you look good in formal robes." A familiar voice spoke. He wanted to smile at the reflection of his uncle in the mirror but couldn't make his mouth respond. The older man moved to take a seat beside him, the hairdresser inclined her head respectful but didn't pause in her torturing and teasing. Iroh was dressed in a similar set of robes, though his weren't quite as ornate, but then he was only a guest, a highly honoured guest, but a guest none-the-less.

"You are looking quite calm…" He said, watching as the boy absently wound the red binding around his hand, only to unwind it and start all over again. "You are not nervous at all?"

"What have I got to be nervous about?" The young prince asked blandly, staring at his feet.

"Well…you are about to marry a total stranger…" Iroh pointed out. "And of course there is tonight…"

"Tonight?" Zuko's head snapped up, partly out of shock, and partly because the hairdresser was pulling his hair into the traditional formal bun.

"Yes…" Iroh nodded. "There are certain…well…traditions…expectations…and I know that you must have questions…concerns…"

"_UNCLE_!" He cut him off. "That is not something I want to discuss right now!" His eyes focused on the reflection of the hairdresser as she threaded the needle through the metal band that held the hair in place. Having completed her work, the woman bowed and took her leave.

Zuko rose and walked over to the window suddenly overcome with a need for fresh air, but the sight of the palace gardens where the ceremony was about to take place did nothing to sooth his thoughts.

"I just want this day to be over…" He said quietly as he leaned against the window frame, his golden eyes following the path of several leaves that were dancing on the autumn breeze.

"I am sure your bride is feeling the same way." Iroh sighed, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It is your fathers that have agreed to this arrangement…but it is you and she who will have to live with it. Remember that, eh? In your dealings with her…be kind…gentle…"

Zuko mutely nodded his agreement.

"My, my, my…" A taunting voice broke the relative calm. "Don't you look pretty?"

"Shut up, Azula!" Zuko growled.

"I try to pay you a compliment and you insult me?" She said with mock indignation. "No wonder Father had to find you a wife…with your charm…you're incapable of finding one on your own." She flounced out, not waiting for a response.

"Just wait a few years…" Zuko sneered as he strode after her as swiftly as his stiff, formal robes would allow. "And Father will have found a nice Earth Kingdom prince for you!"

The siblings froze as they almost barrelled straight into that self-same father, small entourage in tow. He was stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"That idea is not without its merit." He said.

"_FATHER_!" Azula protested.

"Go…" He looked at her and Iroh, who had followed the pair into the hallway lest he have to break up the latest altercation between them. "I have things to discuss with your brother…"

He breezed past entering his son's chambers. Zuko watched after Iroh as he led his sister away, then followed his father.

"Sit." He indicated the chair in front of the mirror that he'd only recently vacated. "You need one more thing…"

He snapped his fingers and one of his underlings stepped forward, presenting a pillow draped with a silken cloth. The Fire Lord flicked off the cloth to reveal a stylised golden flame, much like the one that adorned his own head. It was triple pronged, a perfect, shining replica of the Fire Nation's emblem. Zuko watched in the mirror as his father affixed the flame to the metal band already in his hair, effectively turning it into a lesser crown.

"Now you're ready." He smiled.

Zuko rose stiffly to his feet, moving towards the door as if on some kind of automatic pilot.

"Oh…one more thing…"

Zuko paused as his father's entourage filed out.

"Tonight…when you're alone with this girl…"

Zuko groaned inwardly…it was the same topic he hadn't wanted to discuss with his uncle.

"Show her who's in charge…" The smile turned decidedly nasty. "Take whatever you want…dominate her…"

Zuko's eyes widened as his father swept by him, and he had to wonder…was that how he'd acted with his own wife? Was that how his father had treated his mother?

* * *

_Avatar: The Last Airbender_ and all related characters are © of Bryan Konietzko, Michael DiMartino, Nickelodeon and Viacom International Inc


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three_

Arnook liked to think he was an excellent judge of character. He studied the trio of Fire Nation royals seated across from him with a critical eye while maintaining a passive façade. They were a dangerous group, he knew that each and every one of them was an accomplished bender, the gift was strong in the royal family, but there was far more to their potential threat than that.

If confidence and arrogance had a scent, the Fire Lord would have reeked with them both, but then he was quite possibly the most powerful man on the planet. On his left, his younger child, his daughter, showed all the signs of maturing into a woman who would be just like her father. However, on his right, his brother, the infamous Dragon of the West, had a completely different air about him. There was a serenity about him, a gentle humour in his golden eyes that could not be seen in the others. In a different time and place Arnook wondered if they could have been friends. He felt a little more comfortable with leaving his beloved Yue with these monsters if he would be there to watch over her.

But only a little…

The ceremony had been explained to him, it actually seemed to be a rather simple affair given the ornate surroundings of the royal palace. He had been a little surprised at first, he hadn't thought it possible that these people could do anything that wasn't on a grand scale. Only family were permitted to attend, hence the trio that sat opposite him. He had been given some leeway, the high priest allowing him to select two from his entourage seeing as the bride was the only family member to accompany him. He had selected Pakku, for rather obvious reasons, and Hahn, partly because the boy was a highly competent warrior, but mostly because he refused to leave his side.

Though it was their custom for the families to look at each other, he cast his eyes to the shrine's altar at the rustle of heavy silk, and caught his first glimpse of his soon-to-be son-in-law. And immediately saw a pattern…

He had expected a miniature replica of the Fire Lord, and though in a way that was exactly what he saw, there were also numerous, glaring differences. The boy looked like he wanted to be somewhere else…_ANYWHERE_ else. He lacked his father's confidence, his arrogance, which were so abundantly displayed in his sister. The formal robes, though perfectly tailor made, were somehow an ill fit. His honey coloured eyes were focused on the shrine's tiled floor, his shoes, the shiny gold edging on his robes, anywhere but at his bride-to-be. He glanced at his father, an unspoken plea in those uncertain golden eyes. He had seen that same look in his daughter's…

'_Please, Father…'_ Those eyes said to him. _'Please tell me it's over…that this was all just a game…a ploy to test my loyalty…'_

The Fire Lord's only response was an arc of a devilish eyebrow.

He saw the boy's shoulders rise and fall as he exhaled a deep, shuddering breath and he took his place before the high priest at his beloved daughter's side, though he still hadn't raised his head to actually look at her. Somehow Arnook knew Yue would be safe with this boy, like her, he was doing this for the good of his people, as was his duty. He had a strong sense of honour, he would not mistreat her.

He may have been Ozai's son…but somehow, he was more akin to his uncle…

* * *

Zuko stared at a point behind the altar as the priest began the purification ritual. He didn't really know why, but he felt a part of him was dying, a sacrifice to the gods of war unleashed by his ancestors. He heard a sharp intake of breath, a barely audible sob that reflected his feeling perfectly. His eyes slid to the girl beside him, the source of the tiny sound…and his breath caught in his throat.

He had no preconception of what this barbarian princess his father had found for him would look like, he didn't really care. But now that he saw her…she was quite literally breath taking. Her skin, though darker than his own, was pale in comparison to her peoples'. Her eyes were an icy blue, but there was no coldness to them. And her hair…he'd never seen anything like her hair. It was a pure, dazzling white. She was beautiful…as fragile and delicate as a snowflake…or at least as how he imagined a snowflake to be, he'd never actually seen one after all.

He looked away quickly as he saw her eyes move towards him.

She was sure he'd been looking at her, he was no doubt as curious about her as she was about him, but as she looked at him she saw his golden eyes staring at some point on the back wall. She hated to admit it, but he was quite handsome, though his pale skin looked like it hadn't seen the sun in years…odd for a people who were kin to the sun as hers were to the moon…but they were all like that. It was commonly believed their paleness was due to the fact that no blood ran in their veins. Blood was a thing of life, and all they did was take life. But he didn't look like the monster the stories of her childhood had said he would be, he looked as uncomfortable as she felt, and that one little strand of hair that refused to sit neatly with its brothers, that he apparently hadn't even attempted to tame, she found it somehow endearing…perhaps there was more to him than fiery perfection…

* * *

Azula smirked as her brother stumbled through his wedding vows, as awkward and clumsy with them as he was with every other aspect of his life. The first-borns were like that, though, she thought as her eyes slid towards her uncle. Though Iroh was neither clumsy nor inept he was decidedly odd, he always had been, even before he'd lost his son. Lu Ten's death had only brought into sharp relief just how unfit for the throne he was. It was easy to see how it was that her father had been named Fire Lord in his stead.

She looked at him only to find his gaze locked with the Water Tribe peasant who called himself king…or was it chief? Whatever, they clearly weren't equals. The man was wearing dead animal skins for Agni's sake!

She heard a snort and turned her attention to the young man beside him. Now he could almost have a place in the Fire Nation. Handsome, proud…he glared at the back of her brother's head not even bothering to hide his hatred. That was certainly a point in his favour.

He was a little taken aback to find her staring at him. His eyes narrowed, his lips tightened as he glared back at her, his contempt only making her smirk deepen.

When her father defeated these heathens she wondered if he'd let her keep this one as a play thing.

* * *

She would have smiled at the face he pulled as he sipped from the tiny red and black cup if she hadn't been gagging on the stuff herself. She was glad they only had to take three sips of the horrible liquor, it was like liquid fire, burning down her throat and into her belly. She didn't notice the frown on the priest's face as she placed her cup on the highly lacquered table a split second after he did, even if she had she wouldn't have understood it, she wasn't aware of the significance of her actions.

The priest gestured for them to stand, pushing them together and hissing at them to take the others hand. As she felt his warm fingers curl around hers, as she saw his family rise to their feet, the older man happily lifting a bottle of that horrible fire water, filling more tiny cups with it and passing them around, she realised what it meant.

The ceremony was over. She was bound to the quiet, golden-eyed prince at her side, as he was to her.

* * *

Yue twisted the deep crimson bedding fearfully in her hands, curling up on the very edge of the ornate golden sleeping platform as she waited for her new husband to join her.

She didn't know what to make of him. He hadn't spoken a word to her at the feast that had followed the ceremony…he hadn't even looked at her. He had merely stared at his plate, pushing the food about with golden chopsticks, she was sure he hadn't eaten anything. He hadn't even reacted to his sister's thinly veiled insults and innuendoes...she was already convinced that she was not going to like the arrogant girl. But she had taken some comfort in his lack of response…he wasn't any happier about their situation than she was. Like her, he had gone through with the arranged marriage because it pleased his father.

She had promised her father that she would be a good wife to him, and she knew he would have certain…expectations. She squeezed her eyes shut as she heard the rustle of fabric, felt the mattress shift under his added weight.

"I…" He began in a halting voice. "…are you comfortable?"

"Yes…" She replied softly.

"I know you come from a land that is much cooler than ours…" He continued. "You're not too warm…?"

"I'm fine…" She assured him.

"Good…" She could almost feel him nod. "Then I will see you in the morning…"

She frowned as she felt his weight lift from the mattress. She barely heard his footsteps as he crossed their bridal chamber to close the doors behind him. She rolled over to gaze at the highly carved golden doors. _THAT_ she had not expected. If things had gone as originally planned, if she had married Hahn as originally intended, he wouldn't have hesitated to claim her as his.

She slipped out of the bed and followed him into the outer chamber. She found him hugging the fire…the autumn nights of the Fire Nation may not have been as cold as the North Pole's, but they still had an icy sting to them. He had made their rooms colder than he was accustomed to…he had made them comfortable for her, despite the discomfort it brought him. There was far more to this Fire Nation prince than was apparent to the eye…

"Lord Husband?" She questioned him. He looked up at her with eyes as warm and gold as the fire he sat by. "Do you plan to sleep on the floor?"

"There is a couch…" He gestured to the piece of furniture just outside the fire's glow.

"Isn't that a little unorthodox?" She asked. "This _IS_ our wedding night…"

"We married out of obligation, Princess…" He said, lowering his eyes. "Forced into something we weren't ready for…" He sighed, his gaze turning to watch his element dance. "Before we spoke our vows…I didn't even know your name…" He finally turned his warm, golden eyes on her. "I just feel that we should get to know each other before we…_KNOW_…each other…"

"I agree completely." She smiled gratefully.

They were quiet for a few moments, just looking at each other, familiarising themselves with the other's not unpleasant features.

"So…" He said finally. "Tell me about your home…"

* * *

_Avatar: The Last Airbender_ and all related characters are (C) of Bryan Konietzko, Michael DiMartino, Nickelodeon and Viacom International Inc 


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four_

"Good morning, ladies." Azula said brightly as she entered the dormitory room of Mai and Ty Lee, the only people on campus that she deemed worthy to call her friends. She had her own room of course, but she spent most of her time with the miss-matched pair, partly because she liked their company, but mostly because she liked to torment them.

And she had something really big to torment at least one of them with this morning…

"Good morning, Princess." Ty Lee beamed. Mai merely nodded in response to her presence, not even looking up from the incredibly thick tome she was reading. "We missed you this weekend."

"I got called home on short notice." She sighed as she flopped down, very un-princess-like on the beaming girl's bed. "When the Fire Lord beckons and all that."

"Was it for something important?" Ty Lee asked, clearly interested in learning all about the palace gossip.

"Not really…" Azula sighed, examining her fingernails in her ennui. "But I guess Father thought it was…and I suppose I _DID_ have to be there…"

"For what?" Ty Lee asked, obviously dying to know. But it was to Mai Azula looked to for a reaction when she answered.

"Oh…" A wicked grin spread across her face as she looked at the sullen and disinterested girl. "Zuzu got married…"

Mai didn't respond, didn't look up, but her sharp fingernails curled tightly around her book, slicing into its cover.

"What?" Ty Lee sat back, a little stunned. "I didn't know he was seeing anyone…"

"He wasn't." Azula said, her eyes never leaving Mai's lowered head.

"So who did he marry?" Ty Lee frowned.

"Some Water Tribe princess Father found for him." She laughed out loud. "You should have seen them! They both looked so wonderfully miserable!" She frowned at the hint of a smile this brought to Mai's face. "I guess she's as big into duty as my brother is…"

"What do you mean?" Ty Lee questioned.

"They only did it because it's what our respective fathers wanted." Azula explained. "For the good of the people…" She sneered.

"Oh…" Ty Lee commented as she absorbed the information Azula had imparted. "Is she pretty?"

"How should I know?" Azula snorted. "She's Water Tribe…they all look the same to me…what difference does it make?"

"I don't know…" Ty Lee frowned. "I just thought, it might be nice if your brother could be a bit happy with it all, you know?" She glanced at Mai who had returned to her usual stoic self.

"It's not about being happy!" Azula said. "It's about duty…it's about the only thing my brother understands!" She smirked. "Of course…there is at least one other duty the two of them will be expected to perform…"

"What's that?" Ty Lee asked.

"They have to produce an heir." She said in a tone like she was talking to an idiot, which was often how she thought of the bubbly girl anyway. She turned her fiery eyes on Mai again. "I bet they're at it like rabbiroos…"

That appeared to be the final straw for the sullen girl. She slammed her book shut, threw it on her bed, rose to her feet and stormed out of the room in one surprisingly graceful movement. Azula just smirked at her retreating back.

"Why did you say that?" Ty Lee said. "You know she's always liked him. Why do you have to be so…so…mean?"

"Oh, please." Azula scoffed. "It's about time she got over it. I never understood what she saw in him anyway…" She trailed off when she realised she was talking to herself, Ty Lee having gone after their recently departed friend.

She found her out in the practice yard, hurling knives at a straw dummy, each one finding a highly sensitive or deadly spot.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"Of course I am." Mai huffed, not even breaking stride. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Ty Lee gently took her arm, causing the other girl to pause in her attack, leaving the dummy's head to loll forward as if in relief. Mai sighed deeply, closing her eyes. Her voice was quiet when she finally spoke.

"It's not like there was anything between us…" She admitted. "I don't even think he knows I exist…"

Ty Lee lay her head on her friend's shoulder as she wrapped her arms around her in a comforting embrace.

"You know I was kidding, right?" The pair looked up to find Azula watching them from the shadow of the trees. "I mean, this is Zuzu I'm talking about…" She chuckled as she sat down beside them. "He didn't say a word to her at the feast…" She looked at Mai with as much sympathy as she could muster.

"I bet he hasn't even touched her…"

* * *

"What is wrong with that boy…?" Ozai wondered aloud as he watched his son and his new bride stroll along the edge of the miniature lake in the palace gardens. He frowned as they sat primly by the water's edge, a flock of small yellowish-green creatures gliding across its surface to eagerly gather the crumbs they offered them. Even though he frowned upon public displays of affection, he would have liked to have seen some small indication that the pair were indeed a newly wedded husband and wife. The awkwardness of both teenagers, whose attention was focused more on the tiny ravenous animals than on each other, told him there was nothing physical going on between then.

"He gets handed every teenage boy's dream…a beautiful girl with whom he can basically do anything he wants without fear of repercussions…and what does he do?" He snorted. "He feeds turtleducks!"

"With all due respect, my Lord…" Commander Zhao said softly, reverently, from behind him. "The reason for this union was for the girl to distract the prince, a task that she seems to be accomplishing quite admirably. If he should choose to engage in such innocent interactions rather than more, shall we say, earthy pursuits, is it really need for concern?"

"I suppose not…" Ozai admitted with a smile. "It's not like I look forward to a half-breed grandchild anyway…"

"That was not something I considered…" Zhao said with an air of disgust.

"Do not concern yourself, Commander." Ozai said. "When we are victorous I will have this farce of a marriage annulled and find him a proper wife."

"And any resulting children…?" Zhao questioned.

"Will be…dealt with..." Ozai assured him. "…along with their mother…"

* * *

Yue smiled, completely unaware of the two less than charitable men discussing her future, or possible lack thereof, as Zuko held out a handful of breadcrumbs for a fairly ancient looking turtleduck which was daintily nibbling straight off his out-stretched palm.

"It is remarkably tame." She noted as he ran his index finger over the creature's glossy head, his expression strangely melancholic despite the soft smile that curled his lips.

"He's an old friend…" Zuko said softly. "I've fed him just about every day for the past six years…I don't think he's much longer for this world…" His face seem to grow even sadder as he said this, she wondered how such a simple creature could warrant such a reaction.

"I used to come and feed them with my mother…" He said as if somehow sensing her curiosity. He looked up at her and smiled. "It's kind of nice to have company again…"

She smiled, placing a comforting hand on his arm and leaned a little closer to him. She hadn't even considered they could have something like that in common, and she was surprised that she hadn't noticed it before. His father, his sister and his uncle had been at the ceremony and the feast that had followed, but there had been no sign of his mother. But then she hadn't been paying much attention to anything at the time.

Now she began to wonder what had happened to her. Had she died in childbirth giving life to his awful sister or had illness taken her life? Or was she like her own mother, a casualty of this senseless war? She didn't want to press him. In the short time she'd known him she had come to realise that he was an immensely private person. So she just sat with him in comfortable silence watching the turtleducks scoop soggy bread from the water, listening to the gentle music of the wind chimes dotted about the gardens.

* * *

_Avatar: The Last Airbender_ and all related characters are (c) of Bryan Konietzko, Michael DiMartino, Nickelodeon and Viacom International Inc


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter Five_

Yue frowned, cocking her head to one side as she studied her husband's face, ignoring the lavish breakfast set out before her. Every morning when she awoke he was waiting to share breakfast with her, she knew he was up before her, his people were notoriously early risers. And he was always meticulously groomed, his robes spotless, his silken hair perfect except for that one little strand that fell across his forehead that she found so endearing. But lately she'd noticed something about his appearance that wasn't perfect.

"What's wrong?" She heard him ask, unaware that he'd notice her stare.

"You missed a spot." She smiled.

"What?" He frowned.

"You missed a spot." She repeated, touching her chin.

"Oh…" His hand went to his own chin. "No…actually…it's tradition among my people. When a man marries…he grows a beard to mark his status…"

Yue nodded as she absorbed the information. She hadn't seen many Fire Nation citizens since she'd arrived, she hadn't been outside the palace since their wedding and any servants she'd encountered had been women, but she has met his father and his uncle, both of whom wore beards that the patch on Zuko's chin would one day grow to be. She leaned on her hand, a mischievous look on her usually serene face. "So it marks you as mine?"

"Well…" He could feel the colour rising slightly in his cheeks at the suggestion…and the way she was looking at him. "It marks me as unavailable any way…" He studied her for a moment. "Do your people have any traditions connected to marriage?"

She sat back as she considered his question. "Now that you mention it…the married men in my tribe wear beards too…perhaps it's universal…"

"Perhaps…"

"But the real tradition is the betrothal necklace." She said. "When a young man of the tribe wishes to marry he carves a necklace for his intended, and after getting the permission of her family, he presents it to her."

"What do they look like?" He asked.

"They're usually circular, but as each is hand-carved no two are alike. They sit at the base of the throat, tied in place with a silken ribbon." She touched the place where she'd be wearing one if she had one. Then her eyes brightened. "Wait! I'll show you." She spun from the table and headed towards the sleeping chamber.

"You have a betrothal necklace? You were _ENGAGED_?"

She froze at the sound of his voice. The tone of it was heartbreaking. She turned to look at him, but he wasn't looking at her. His head was lowered, his voice quiet as he continued.

"I felt bad enough that I was taking you from your tribe…." He whispered. "But to take you from someone you loved…"

"You didn't do anything." She said, raising his head with a gentle hand. "It was our fathers who made the arrangements. Besides…" She sighed. "…he was no more my choice than you were." A sad smile curled her lips as she saw the downcast expression on his face. "But you're far sweeter than he is…" She told him as she pressed her forehead to his.

"But with him you would still be with your people."

"When a girl of my tribe marries, her husband's family becomes her own. His tribe becomes hers. So your people are also my people." She said. "I _AM_ with my people."

"So…" He reasoned. "I guess that means your people are my people too."

"I guess so…."

* * *

Each day passed pretty much the same as the last. Yue spent most of her time in the company of her husband, company which she had grown quite fond of. He was the only one she truly felt comfortable around. They had learned a great deal about each other's culture, and about each other.

She was beginning to awaken earlier each day, and one morning she was surprised to find neither husband nor breakfast awaiting her. She wondered if she should wait for him, but she had no idea how long he'd be, and she was curious as to where he was. And there was a part of her that just wanted to be near him. So she decided to look for him. Surely he couldn't be too far away.

She slipped out of their rooms, which were essentially a small house inside the larger one that was the royal palace. There were many servants about, and though they were respectful they didn't appear to be too inclined to assist her as they hurried about their duties.

She was about to head back to their quarters when she heard a familiar voice.

"Good morning, Princess." Her husband's uncle beamed at her. "You're up early."

"General Iroh." She bowed gracefully.

"Pah!" He waved it off. "We are family, child. You don't have to go through such airs for me."

She smiled shyly.

"So what brings you out into the palace unescorted?" He asked. "It is fiendishly easy to get lost." He leaned in close. "Don't tell anyone…but I have lost my own way on more than one occasion."

She covered her mouth to hide her giggle.

"I am looking for my husband." She said. "I awoke early…and he was gone…"

"Yes." Iroh nodded. "We are a morning people." He looked at the sun's position in the sky. "At this time of the morning, he is most likely training."

"Training?" She frowned.

"Your husband is a firebender, Princess." Iroh told her. "A very dedicated one. Though he is not without talent he has still to attain true mastery. It is something he refuses to allow to elude him."

"I have never seen firebending." She admitted in a voice laced with awe and fear.

"I don't think he'll mind such a charming audience." Iroh smiled.

Yue found it hard to watch her husband's training session. It wasn't entirely due to the ferocity he was displaying, though that did play its part. It was mostly due to what he was wearing, or rather, how very little he was wearing. His only attire was a pair of lose-fitting pants, bound tightly around his calves, assumedly so that they wouldn't be ignited by the flames that would periodically flash from his feet.

She'd felt the blood rush to her cheeks as soon as she'd laid eyes on him. She'd quickly averted them, but found herself sneaking glances more and more. A part of her, a wanton part that she'd tried to deny but which had been asserting itself more frequently of late, had wondered what lay beneath those flowing, burgundy robes, especially when she was in his presence, which was most of he time. But to actually see what those yards of fabric kept hidden…

Though she had not actually seen so much manly flesh, even in the warmer months the North Pole could be fiendishly cold and the men never went without shirts, she knew he was a fine example of his gender. He was lean, highly toned, every muscle perfectly defined. His movements were graceful and powerful at the same time. His hair was tied up in a simple topknot and the wickedly playful look in his bright golden eyes gave him a more roguish appearance that she found strangely appealing. She could feel her own heart rate quicken as she watched him exert himself. She was beginning to feel uncomfortably warm at the sight of all that fire. He must be hot too, she thought due to the film of sweat that was covering his body. But the way it made his body sheen…

She sat down on the low stone wall that surrounded the workout area as gracefully as she could, a hand to her chest in an attempt to still the fluttering of her heart.

Iroh glanced at her, a little concerned when he felt her drop. He arced a brow at the way she'd quickly glance at his nephew then look away as the colour raised in her cheeks. She was obviously attracted to him, but she was too shy to act on it. He glanced over to his nephew who had halted in his practice and was now staring at Yue with wide eyes.

"Princess!" He squeaked, wrapping his arms around his naked torso in a vain attempt to cover himself, but with the same colour in his cheeks. He lowered his head and glanced at her through his eyelashes, an awkward smile curling his lips.

"Lord Husband." She whispered in response, twining her fingers together in her nervousness.

It would seem shyness was something they shared. But as he watched them, the way they looked at each other, the tiny smiles that played on their lips, Iroh felt it wasn't the only thing they shared.

"Hoshi?" He called to a passing servant, who bowed deeply in response. "Could you please see the princess back to her rooms? The prince needs to get cleaned up before they breakfast."

* * *

He followed his nephew to the bathhouse, dismissing the servants so he could talk to the boy in private.

"You and she…" He began as Zuko disappeared behind an ornate screen. "You haven't completed the marriage ritual, have you?"

He heard the whisper of silk on hair as the boy pulled the band from his hair, then the creak of wood as he sat down on the bench on the other side of the privacy screen. Zuko let out a deep breath in the midst of which he heard a quiet, "No."

"Zuko…" He shook his head. "You know the marriage will not be truly acknowledged until the two of you…"

"I know!" Zuko cut him off. "I know…" he repeated, his voice muffled and Iroh knew the boy had dropped his head into his hands. "We just agreed to wait until we got to know each other…"

"It's been three months." Iroh interjected.

"…until we felt we were ready." Zuko finished as if his uncle hadn't spoken.

Iroh nodded sagely, even though he knew the boy couldn't see him. Zuko had never been comfortable around other people, especially girls, and what was expected of him in this particular situation must be extremely daunting for the young man who really was little more than a child. But he couldn't put it off forever.

"Zuko…" He sighed. "I know this is difficult for you…for both of you…but there is a lot more riding on this than on a usual marriage. You are the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. In time you will become Fire Lord. And given the turbulent times in which we live that may be sooner than you bargain for. You _MUST_ father an heir."

"I know." Zuko whispered.

"And there is also the treaty that this marriage represents to consider."

"What do you mean?" He could almost hear the frown in Zuko's voice.

"If your father finds out about this…" He sighed as he thought of a way to put it. "If he finds out, he will see it as a breech of the treaty, that the Water Tribe has not been true to their word. He will see it as a reason to invade her people!"

"But I'm as responsible as she is!" Zuko protested.

"He won't care." Iroh assured him. "He will always side with the Fire Nation."

"But he won't find out." Zuko said. "It's not like he talks to me about it…or anything else…"

"He probably already suspects it." Iroh sighed. "There are many eyes and ears in this place."

They sat in silence for a long moment. Iroh knew Zuko cared for the girl, and for her people. The boy didn't like to see anyone suffer. It was how Ozai had trapped him so easily in a marriage he knew was a sham.

"Perhaps it would help if you got away for a while." Iroh suggested. "Away from the pressures of the royal court and too many prying eyes and ears." He stroked his beard, lost in thought. "The winter palace is lovely this time of the year. You could show her some of the kingdom…_ALL_ of it from up there." He chuckled.

"I don't know if that would help." Zuko whispered. "I still don't think we're ready. I mean…I know it was arranged…but shouldn't there be…well…love…?"

Iroh smiled to himself as he remembered the awkwardness he'd seen between the pair. There was certainly an attraction between them, a fondness, and, he was fairly confident, something more…

"I don't think that's something you have to worry about." He smiled. He rose to his feet. "I will make the necessary arrangements." He told his nephew as he approached the bathhouse door. "But in the meantime, there is something you can do for me."

"What?" Zuko frowned.

"She has a name." He said as he pushed open the door. "I think you should use it."

* * *

"You're very quiet tonight."

Zuko looked up at her comment. They were sitting in front of the fire, as they did every evening but he had been lost in his thoughts. She frowned at the look on his face.

"Is everything alright?" She asked.

"How would you feel about getting out of the palace for a while?" He suggested. "See some of the kingdom."

Her eyes widened. She had always been of the opinion that his father had wanted to keep her hidden away. The servants had always been very distant, as if they resented her presence. She wasn't sure if she wanted that on a larger scale.

"What exactly did you have in mind?" She asked.

"I thought we might head up to the winter palace." He said. "It's high in the mountains, very secluded, but the views are spectacular."

"So…it would just be you and me?" Her eyes widened hopefully.

"Pretty much." He confirmed. "There'll be a few servants to take care of us…to do the cooking and washing and so forth." He reached out and took her hand. "But we won't know they're there…"

She gazed at his pale fingers entwined with her own, they were so wonderfully warm. She looked up into his warm golden eyes, a delighted smile on her face.

"I think I'd like that."

He rose to his feet, his hand still in hers, all but forcing her to her feet as well.

"We'll head out in the morning." He told her as he walked her to the door of the sleeping chamber. He opened the door for her and finally released her hand, but continued to hold her eyes. She felt a strange twinge of disappointed when he smiled and headed for his usual sleeping place.

He turned to look back at her as he reached it. "Goodnight…" He said softly. "Yue…"

She was a little startled to hear him use her name, but she loved the way it sounded. Then she smiled brightly.

"Goodnight…Zuko…" She said as she slowly closed the door.

* * *

_Avatar: The Last Airbender_ and all related characters are (c) of Bryan Konietzko, Michael DiMartino, Nickelodeon and Viacom International Inc 


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter Six_

Yue stepped nervously out onto the palace steps, glancing left and right before her eyes settled on the ornate gates before her. Even though they were a good distance away she was glad they were closed. The Fire Nation lay outside those gates, and if the palace staff were anything to go by she doubted the people would be all that accepting of her. They would be civil, of course, they wouldn't dare be otherwise with their prince at her side, but she couldn't help but feel their thoughts would not match their actions. Suddenly she wondered if this trip was such a good idea.

"Are you alright?" A concerned voice asked. "You look like a buffalo-deer caught in a Yu Yan's sights."

She looked up into Zuko's worried face.

"I guess I'm just a little nervous." She admitted. "I haven't been outside the palace grounds since I arrived here. I don't know what to expect…" She glanced at the gates. "How your people will react…"

"I thought that they were your people now." He reminded her with a smile.

"I don't know if they'll see it like that." She sighed, lowering her head.

"Don't worry…we'll be in the royal carriage…" He tilted her head up with a gentle hand under her chin. "They won't be able…" As he looked into her face, her shining eyes, his voice faltered, his thoughts wandered. "…to…touch…"

Her heart fluttered at the way he was looking at her…or maybe it was the way he was absently running his thumb along her jaw. The warmth of his touch, his breath, his closeness, her mind began to drift to those places again, places that she, as a proper princess, really shouldn't be venturing…

The clattering of hooves and metal wheels brought them both back to reality. Yue's eyes widened at the sight of the ebony creature hitched to the ornate carriage.

"What exactly is that?" She whispered, grabbing Zuko's arm tightly at the sight of the large shaggy-furred horned animal.

"A dragon-moose." He told her. "They're quite harmless." He said as he descended the steps to lay a hand on the creature's neck. "And more even-tempered than komodo-rhinos." He nodded to the driver who passed him a brightly coloured vegetable. "This one is Mayonaka…" He said as he offered the animal the treat. "I've known him since he was a calf." He smiled as the creature chomped down on the offering. "Black dragon-moose are quite rare…any that are born are offered up to the Royal Family in tribute. But Mayonaka was born in the stables…I was there when he was born…"

"That must have been an education." Yue smiled as she gingerly stroked the animal's neck.

"It put me off my food for a week." Zuko grinned at her.

"It's a perfectly natural part of life." She teased him.

"True." He admitted. "But nature can be quite disturbing at times…"

"Your Highness…" The drive spoke softly. "We have quite a journey ahead of us…if you wish to arrive before nightfall we had best be getting on our way."

"Of course." Zuko acknowledged, leading Yue to the carriage itself where another servant was waiting to open the door for them. Yue wondered if the Royal Family were ever allowed to do anything for themselves. Zuko answered the question for her when he offered his hand to help her into the ornate transport.

Yue looked around the plush interior of the surprisingly spacious carriage. It was strewn with silk cushions, gauzy curtains covered the windows, allowing the passengers a perfect view while maintaining their complete and utter privacy. There were little drawers and doors built into the body of the carriage and she couldn't help but wonder what they housed. She was so involved in her visual explorations that she was unprepared for the jolt of their departure. She gasped as she suddenly found herself sprawled across Zuko.

"I guess it's smoother travelling on water." He smiled as he helped her onto the cushions beside him. She looked at him, her cheeks slightly pink, then let out a tiny little sound and scrunched up to him as she heard the grating sound of the gates as they began to grind open.

There was a sound from outside, something like a roar, that she realised came from the crowd of people waiting outside the gate.

"What are all these people doing here?" She whispered.

"Hoping to catch a glimpse of royalty." Zuko sighed. His expression told her that this was a common occurrence, one that he found extremely tiring. "Don't worry…as long as you don't actually hang out the window or something they won't see you. You're perfectly safe."

She leaned towards the closest window as they passed through the gates, her curiosity getting the better of her. The crowd, she noticed, was predominantly female…young female. She glanced at Zuko but he didn't appear to be looking out through the gauzy curtains at all, he was totally engrossed with the golden fringes of the scarlet cushion closest to his hand.

"There are an awful lot of girls out there." Yue noted as they moved their heads, strained their eyes, in the hopes of seeing through the curtains. "Are they all here for you?"

"There used to be more." Zuko mumbled from his comfortable position amid the cushions, he wasn't even bothering to look over the crowd. Despite his blasé tone and air of total indifference she knew the attention bothered him. He may have been born royalty but his title didn't make him any less awkward around others. She had quickly learned just how painful shy he was. Especially when it came to courting and romance. To the Fire Nation his lack of confidence was probably seen as a weakness. For her it was just one more thing that drew her to him.

"Your sister doesn't seem to have many fans." She commented, deciding it best not to peruse the subject further. She had also learned that teasing bothered him, and he got enough of that from his sister. "There are hardly any young men amid the throng."

"I think they're afraid of her." He said.

Yue covered her mouth to hide her smile as she choked back her giggle.

"Besides…" He finally glanced at the crowd. "Her true fans know she's not currently in residence."

She settled back next to him as they left the leering crowd behind and he began pointing out various landmarks or places that held personal interest to him. He told her stories of his youth spent in the pristine streets lined with tidy, low-set buildings with whitewashed walls and red tiled roofs all edged in gold. There were parks and gardens everywhere, burbling fountains and crystal clear pools of water dotted the lush landscape. It wasn't at all what she had expected. But then neither was the young man beside her.

In her more fanciful imaginations she thought that perhaps the Spirits had messed up somewhere and sent him here when he clearly should have been born into one of the other nations. Or maybe it had been a deliberate act on their part, that he'd been sent here to set things right.

She knew it wasn't true of course, he was the spiting image of his father, though she was thankful he hadn't inherited the Fire Lord's cold, spider-snake eyes. And looking out at the towns and villages they passed through, at the people that would pause in their work, at the children playing their unfamiliar games, she realised that his land wasn't the sinister place she had been led to believe it was, that his people were just like hers. They weren't evil, they weren't plotting the downfall of civilization, they were just trying to live their lives as best as they could. She was glad that they were her people now.

They soon left the villages behind and the carriage began to climb steadily upwards. The road that wound around the mountains was broad and well maintained and afforded a magnificent view of the island…no…islands…below. She could see a series of them, snaking off towards the horizon. She hadn't been interested in taking in her surroundings on her journey to the Fire Nation and now couldn't help but wonder what she'd missed.

She glanced over at Zuko, intending to share her thoughts about the beauty of his homeland with him, and smiled when she found him dozing amongst the cushions. This was a path he had no doubt travelled many times, the awe inspiring scenery was apparently lost on him.

It had been a long trip, they had left when the sun had only just been rising and now it was low in the sky. And apart from a brief stop for lunch, they had been travelling for the entire time. She turned back to the vista beyond the windows, leaving him to his rest.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been watching the land roll by bellow them when she felt his breath in her ear.

"Enjoying the scenery?" He asked.

She hadn't heard him move, and the sudden sound of his voice startled her a little.

"Yes." She smiled. "Your land is beautiful."

"So is yours."

"You've never even seen it." She said, throwing him a sceptical look.

"I've seen you." He said. "You could only come from a place of beauty."

She blinked. If anyone else had said that she probably would have thought it the corniest thing she'd every heard. But coming from Zuko…he was just so serious…so earnest…

That feeling came over her again…the same feeling she'd had on the palace steps before they'd set out. She longed to feel his touch again. She wasn't even aware that she'd been leaning towards him, or that he'd been leaning towards her, until she felt his breath against her lips…

The carriage door was opened and the pair sprang apart.

"We have arrived, Your Highness…" The bowed man informed them. "…es…" He added, almost as an afterthought.

Yue shuddered as she followed Zuko out of the carriage. At the higher altitude and with the sun just beginning to slip below the horizon the icy edge to the breeze was far more evident and she realised winter had come to her new home without her noticing.

'_It must be because of the absence of snow…'_ She mused, a little sadly, as she glanced at the deep green carpet of the lawns that surrounded the winter palace.

And it certainly was a palace, though in comparison to the home she had become used to since her father had brought her here it was tiny, though to see all of it would probably take the better part of a week.

It was a far less ornate building, made of the now familiar whitewashed stone, which the setting sun had turned to gold, that she had seen on her journey here, but on a far grander scale. There were walls surrounding floating gardens, still bright with colour despite the cold. Towers and wide verandas allowed an uninterrupted view of the Fire Nation which lay spread out below them. It was amazing, and she liked it so much more than his father's oppressive and overly ornamented seat of power.

She had to quicken her pace to catch up to her husband who had ascended the main entry stairs and was greeting an older man, the head of staff she guessed. She could see the rest of them lined up behind him. The pleasant-faced man bowed reverently to his crown prince, the rest of his staff mirroring him. She was startled when they all turned and bowed with equal respect to her.

"Welcome, Princess Yue." The man smiled. "We are honoured to have you here."

She glanced at Zuko, who smiled as well as he held out a hand to her. She took it and climbed the stairs to stand beside him. The staff parted to allow them entrance, not a single one of them making her feel in the least bit uncomfortable.

She smiled.

'_I think I'm really going to like it here.'_ She thought, wondering if it was possible to convince Zuko to make this their permanent home.

* * *

Dinner had been served almost immediately. It hadn't been as lavish or exotic as was usually served in the palace, and the company of Zuko alone had been far more welcoming. Though she enjoyed his uncle's company, she'd never been able to eat more than a few mouthfuls when his father or sister were present.

He'd be strangely attentive and easily distracted all evening, as if unsure of exactly what he should do. They had finally settled amid the cushions on the floor in front of the fire, much like they had on the first night they'd spent together, had it really only been three months ago? Though there was far less talking. They knew a great deal more about each other now and had grown quite close.

She leaned back against him…he was always so wonderfully warm…and heard him let out a contented sigh. She glanced up at him, noticing his drooping eyelids with a smile. He always tired rather quickly as soon as the sun went down. It had something to do with his being a firebender he'd told her once, and his strong connection with the sun. It was in total contrast to the benders in her tribe.

But he wasn't asleep yet.

"Are you comfortable?" He asked as she snuggled a little closer.

"I'm a little cold…" She admitted.

"_YOU'RE_ cold?" He quirked a brow. "I'd have thought you'd be more used to it."

"We wear furs and wools…not silks and cottons." She sniffed.

"You'll appreciate them when the summer gets here." He said. "Would you like some fire brandy?"

"What's that?" She asked.

He rose gracefully to cross the room, returning with an ornate bottle full of a deep amber liquid and a pair of rather delicate looking glasses. He sat down and uncorked the bottle. Yue's nose wrinkled a little at its strong odour as he poured a small measure into each of the glasses. He re-corked the bottle and set it aside.

"It needs to be warm." He said as she reached for one of the glasses.

"We could leave it by the fire for a moment." She suggested.

"We could." He agreed. "But there's a quicker…and for my people…more traditional way."

He cupped her glass gently in his hands, staring intently at the liquid, and she realised he was heating it with his bending.

"I never realised firebending was so versatile." She smiled as she accepted the glass.

"Careful." He warned as he began heating his own glass. "It could be a bit hot. And it can be a bit bracing if you're not used to it."

She took the daintiest of sips and found he was right. It was smoother than the horrible liquor she'd endured at their wedding but it was still quite harsh to the tongue. But its heat spread quickly, warming her from the inside out.

Zuko sniffed his before he tasted it, his eyes closed, a slight frown wrinkling his forehead.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine." He smiled softly, his eyes still closed. "This stuff brings back memories, that's all." He sighed. "My mother used to bring us up here for the winter and she'd give us fire brandy, just a little, in milk, when the nights were cold. It used to put Azula out like a snuffed candle." He chuckled.

"Father rarely joined us, he preferred to stay close to the capital…and to his own father. So after Azula was asleep it was just Mother and I. We would play Pia Sho or she'd tell me stories…"

There was a mixture of emotions in his voice and on his face, joy fighting sadness. They were obviously fond memories, but it was equally obvious just how much he missed his mother. He must have been very close to her. He clearly wasn't close to his father.

"What was she like?" Yue asked over the rim of her glass.

"I'll show you." He said, rising and offering her his hand.

She was a little reluctant to leave the warmth of the fire, but she let him lead her out into the grand hallway and to a line of massive portraits that hung on the wall there. He passed several. She noticed one showed his beaming uncle standing beside a lovely woman with his hand on the shoulder of a boy who shared a lot of similarities with both Iroh and Zuko. She was going to ask him about it but he had stopped at the one at the very end of the row, and was gazing up at it with that same mixture of emotions.

It was a depiction of a family…his immediate family. The quartet of Fire Nation royals sat stiffly in their formal robes, each with a golden flame adorning their dark hair.

She focused on his own likeness first, trying to determine just how old he was. She guessed he was about eight years old, making his sister, who sat beside him around seven. Even then she looked far from innocent, there was a coldness to her eyes, even in paint, that she shared with their father.

Then there was his mother. A slight smile curled her painted lips, a smile similar to the one she had often seen on Zuko's face. Her almond-shaped eyes were warm and friendly, like her son's. Her hair, like his, was slightly more deep brown than black.

"She's beautiful." Yue commented.

"Yes…" Zuko sighed in agreement.

"You look a lot like her." She said.

"Really?" He frowned. "I always thought I looked like my father."

"You do." She admitted. "But there's a lot of her in you too." She glanced at him, at the slight smile on his face that mirrored his mother's.

"It's late." He said after a while of gazing at the portrait, lost in his own thoughts and memories. "We should be getting to bed."

* * *

It was well after dawn when Yue rose. She didn't feel the sense of dread she felt in the palace…maybe it was because she knew she wouldn't accidentally cross paths with Zuko's father or the fact that the staff here were actually pleasant to her.

"Good morning, Princess." The head of staff, whom she'd found out yesterday was named Atama, bowed reverently.

"Good morning, Atama." She returned.

"His highness is practicing in the dojo." He said as if reading her mind and predicting her next question. "If you will follow me?"

He led her to a low building with walls made of paper screens, several of which were opened to let in the early morning sun. It certainly didn't look like the place to practice firebending. But as she approached and heard the sound of steel against steel she realised it wasn't firebending that her husband was practicing this morning.

He had a flat curved blade in each hand, his attention split on the three similarly armed men who circled him. Even though he was outnumbered he didn't appear at all concerned.

One of his opponents ran at him. He moved with the same fluid grace that she'd witnessed in his firebending. He didn't appear to be holding the blades at all, they were like an extension of his arms, a part of his body. He easily dispatched his first opponent, spinning to meet the second who charged as soon as the first went down. He soon found himself lying on the polished wooden floor beyond the training mat beside his companion.

Zuko turned his attention on the one remaining opponent, setting his feet and altering his grip on his blades. He nodded his head to the man, who nodded in return. They began to circle each other, weapons at the ready, and a true duel began.

She flinched every time steel met steel, terrified for Zuko's wellbeing even as he quickly gained the upper hand. She knew little about this kind of combat, or any kind of combat for that matter, but given the confidence in his movements, the sweat beading on his opponent's brow as he lost more and more ground, she felt he had to be a master of the blade, or at the very least, close to it.

The final opponent hit the ground, his swords clattering against the wood. Zuko bowed, sheathed his swords and helped the man to his feet.

"You have not lost your edge, Your Highness." The man smiled.

"Thank you, Tachi."

He smiled when he saw her, but quickly frowned at the stunned look on her face.

"Swords?" She gasped. "I've never seen you practice with swords before."

He sighed, watching as the trio of trainers bowed and departed.

"I don't practice in their use at the palace." He admitted. "Father does not approve." He drew one of the blades, frowning at the reflection of his own eyes in the polished surface. "But then, Father doesn't much approve of anything I do…"

"But if he were to see you…" She began. "You're amazing with them…"

"He's seen me." He sighed as he re-sheathed the blade. "He still feels it's a waste of time…that a firebender needs no weapon other than his element…that to rely on any other type of weapon is degrading…"

"You don't agree?" She asked.

"It would hardly be the first time a father and son have disagreed." He smiled sadly. "Now if you'll excuse me for a moment…I need to get cleaned up. I have a very full day planned for us."

"Really?" She quirked a brow, surprised but delighted with his sudden change of tone. "And what do you have planned?"

"You would have me ruin the surprise?" He smirked.

* * *

She had to admit that it was more than a little surprising when he helped her into a small, two-seated, open-roofed carriage. He stroked Mayonaka's glossy neck before climbing up beside her and taking the reins himself. He made a clucking nose and flicked the dragon-moose's flanks lightly. With a snort, Mayonaka started off in a trot and out through the gates.

They followed a well tended path, heading even higher up the mountain. The jungle closed in around them and she was startled by the creatures she could hear in the treetops above them.

"Don't worry." He assured her. "There's nothing here that can hurt you."

"What's out there?" She asked, peering into the shadowy greenness around her.

"Birds mostly." He said. "Probably some possum-monkeys…some spider-snakes…"

"You said there was nothing that could hurt us!" She gasped.

"Most spider-snakes are harmless." He smiled. "There's only the hooded taipan to worry about, and they prefer the desert. So you can relax and leave the driving to me…and Mayonaka…he probably knows the path better than I do."

They turned a corner and the jungle suddenly fell away. He pulled on the reins and Mayonaka stopped. He grabbed a feeding bag and jumped down. He unhitched the creature, pouring the feed into a small stone trough. He helped her down and grabbed a large basket from the back of the small carriage.

"This way." He jerked his head to where she could see nothing but sky. As they crested the small ridge she couldn't help but gasp. They were looking due east, the entire Fire Nation was laid out before them. He led her to a gazebo, its roof covered with twisted vines and branches which indicated that in the warmer months it would be covered with flowers. It was position close to the edge of a steep drop, perfectly situated to allow an interrupted view to its occupants. He set the basket on the floor next to a low stone table, pulled out a blanket, unfurling it and inviting her to sit down. He continued to pull numerous containers from the basket.

She glanced about the beautiful and very secluded spot and realised that, for the first time, they were truly alone. No parents, no servants, not even Mayonaka was in sight. It was both a thrilling and terrifying prospect.

"This is one of my favourite spots in the Fire Nation." He said as he finished his work and sat down beside her. "Uncle says that on a clear day you can see all the way to the Earth Kingdom. I don't know if that's true…" He admitted. "But you can see Crescent Island." He pointed to the tiny speck of land close to the horizon.

He began to offer her food from the various containers. The picnic comprised of all the dishes he'd discovered she favoured in the short time they'd been together, including fresh fruit for dessert.

"How can you have fresh fruit at this time of year?" She asked as bit into a moon peach. Fresh produce was a rarity at the North Pole, even in the warmer months.

"Hot houses." He said. "Heated buildings made of glass. We grow plants in them, and the heat tricks them into thinking it's spring or summer, so they produce fruit…" He reached into the basket again. "…and flowers…"

He offered her a single bloom, deep red in colour.

"It's beautiful." She whispered as she inhaled its sweet, spicy scent.

"Naturally, fire lilies only flower for a couple of weeks a year." He said. "But with our technology we can grow them all year round."

He watched her as she spun the flower in her fingers as he tried to think of the words to say next.

"Yue…" He said softly. Her blue eyes turned to him as he spoke her name. "Our marriage so far has been very much to Fire Nation tradition…" He ran his thumb over the thickening patch of hair on his chin…for emphasis or courage, she wasn't sure which. "But you're Water Tribe…and I feel you should have something that is part of your tradition.

"You told me that when a couple plan to wed in the Water Tribes, the man gives his intended a necklace to mark their betrothal. I know I'm kind of late with this…us already being married and all…but I thought…"

He reached inside his robes and pulled out a small lacquered box of red and black. He held it out to her with both hands…a highly respectful gesture to his people, she'd learned.

She placed the fire lily gently on the stone table and took the box from him with both hands to show her respect to him. She opened it and found a disc of smooth white stone engraved with an emblem that combined both fire and water. A single flame curled over the familiar triple waves. Some kind of pigment had been rubbed into the groves colouring them appropriately in red and blue.

She looked at him with shining eyes as he took the pendant from the box. The ribbon it was suspended on was also white, not the traditional colour of either of their nations but one that would complement them both.

"You carved this?" She asked as she held her hair up so he could tie it around her neck.

"That is the tradition is it not?" He asked, his warm breath against the back of her neck strangely sending a shiver down her spine.

"When did you ever find the time?" She asked, touching it where it rested at the base of her throat.

"Well…you rise so late…" He teased.

She turned her head to look at him, her retort dying on her lips when she saw just how close his were to hers. His hands were on her shoulders where he'd laid them after tying off the betrothal necklace. She could feel the warm firmness of his shoulder against her back.

They both leaned forward as if drawn together by some undeniable force. Eyes began to close and both would have sworn they could almost taste the other.

Then the flash lit up the sky causing them both to instinctively snap their gaze towards it. It was a pure, bright light hovering over distant Crescent Island like a beacon. Neither could take their eyes off it.

"What is that?" She whispered in awe.

"I don't know." He admitted as it faded back into nothingness.

* * *

_Avatar: The Last Airbender_ and all related characters are (C) of Bryan Konietzko, Michael DiMartino, Nickelodeon and Viacom International Inc


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter Seven_

"The Avatar...?" Zuko whispered, his voice a mixture of shock and awe. "Are you sure?"

"The Fire Sages are very insistent." Iroh sighed. "They claim to have seen him. That he visited Roku's temple...and that he destroyed it."

"Why would he destroy his own temple?" Zuko wondered.

"This Avatar is not Roku." Iroh said. "He is the next in the cycle..."

"I know that." Zuko responded. "But still...they're connected...they are the same person...reborn in a different form..."

"In some ways, yes, they are the same person." Iroh agreed. "But in other ways they are vastly different. This Avatar is an airbender...and given what happened after the death of the last Avatar..." He sighed.

Zuko was quiet for a moment. He knew enough about history to know the Avatar's return did not bode well for his people. His great-grandfather Sozin had waited until the death of Avatar Roku before expanding his empire. His tutors had taught him that Sozin's intentions where good, that he only wanted to share the Fire Nation's superior technology and achievements with the rest of the world, that the other nations' resistance to change was what had brought about the war.

Their lessons hadn't made sense to him so Zuko had questioned them. If it had all been for the greater good, surely the Avatar would have supported him, so why had Sozin waited for Roku to pass? Why had he then focused all of his efforts on destroying the Air Nomads, into whose culture the next Avatar would be born? And why did his father and grandfather grow so nervous at any mention of the Avatar's possible return? Why had they spent so much time and effort to ensure that the Avatar had been destroyed?

He had been chastised severely for his questions and as a result had lost interest in history, focusing instead on his warrior skills.

He knew, though his father may dread the Avatar's return, the rest of the world would welcome it. The Avatar would give the people hope, and that hope would strengthen their resolve and they would fight even harder.

And he knew his father would do everything in his power to ensure that hope was extinguished.

Zuko had returned to the capital as soon as the light had faded from the sky, summoned by his father who hadn't even been aware that he'd gone. He hadn't been very happy when he'd learned of Zuko's little excursion and had more or less confined him to the palace grounds as soon as he'd arrived. Azula too had been summoned back from school and was due before sunset. Zuko had to wonder if his father was afraid for his line and wanted to keep his children close in order to protect them. If so, things may be more troubling than he imagined.

"So what does this mean for us?" Zuko asked quietly.

"I have been charged with tracking the Avatar down." Iroh said. "Based on the various reports we have received your father considers him a credible threat."

"But I am the Crown Prince!" Zuko protested. "I should be the one to seek him out!"

"I know the hunt for the Avatar is something of a rite of passage in our family." Iroh smiled as he placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "But you have other duties to attend to."

Zuko frowned, confused.

"Yue..."

"Please..." Zuko grumbled, eyes on the floor, cursing the colour he could feel rising in his cheeks. "Let's not start that again..." He regretted telling his uncle that they'd returned too quickly from the winter palace for nature to take its course.

"That is not what I meant." Iroh said. "You will need to protect her now. There are those who will now see her as a threat."

"A threat?" Zuko boggled. "How could she possibly be a threat? She's not a warrior. She's not even a bender!"

"But she _IS_ Water Tribe." Iroh said. "And she has access to the Royal Family..."

"She's had that for months!" Zuko countered. "And we have an arrangement with the Water Tribe."

"It will not make a difference." Iroh said softly. "Many people do not judge others on the strength of words on paper...or on vows exchanged..."

"Then they have no honour." Zuko growled.

"True enough." Iroh agreed. "But that does not change the fact. Keep her close. You may be the only one who can keep her from harm."

* * *

Iroh's send-off was Yue's first appearance in public since the Avatar's return. It was also her first outside the palace city. Though, given how separated they were from the public she wasn't so sure it counted.

They stood, in a highly regimented order, on an ornate balcony overlooking a grand promenade that led to the sea where Iroh's massive steel ship awaited. Ozai, in full Fire Lord regalia, stood at the railing, looking down on his people, his hands hidden in his voluminous sleeves. Zuko stood on his right, the newly returned Azula on his left, both a step behind their father. Both were dressed more for the battlefield than for a public ceremony. They wore identical suits of what could only be called armour, in black and red, edged with gold. Identical golden flames adorned their identical topknots, though she felt Zuko's was slightly larger, to indicate his position as Crown Prince, no doubt. And though he looked very handsome, she didn't think it suited him at all. She stood a step behind Zuko, nearly invisible to the crowd, and that suited her just fine.

She'd never felt all that comfortable amongst the populace, even with Zuko at her side, but now, things were even worse. The people had never truly accepted her as their princess, all they'd ever done was tolerate her. Now that tolerance was wearing thin.

The people looked on her with disdain, but only when they knew Zuko wasn't looking. The palace servants tended to her requested begrudgingly, only showing her any respect when Zuko was present. She desperately wanted to return to the winter palace, the staff there had been genuinely kind to her, but with Zuko's royal commitments she knew it was impossible.

She glanced down as a cheer erupted from the gathered throng below. Iroh and his crew were now making their trek to the distant ship, the people enthusiastically farewelling their elder prince.

Two identical women, who looked older than time itself, were addressing the crowd in perfect synchronisation, as if they shared the same voice along with the same face. They spoke of Iroh's great achievements, of the battles he had fought and won for the Fire Nation's glory. They spoke of the Earth Kingdom's treachery that had led to the loss of his beloved son and his temporary abandonment of the siege of Ba Sing Se. They assured the people that he would find and capture the Avatar and remove the only threat to the Fire Nation's victory over the world.

The huge cheer that followed this announced made had gasp and shrink back. She felt something brush her hand and looked down to see Zuko's fingers brushing hers. She looked up to see his concerned golden eyes looking back at her as inconspicuously as possible. She took his hand in an iron grip, clinging to it as if it were a lifeline.

She didn't know how long they stood there as Iroh and his crew filed onto the ship, as it pulled away and headed across the harbour towards the gate in the wall that kept it safe. Ozai turned and left as soon as the ship passed through the gate. Azula shot her brother the most wicked smirk she'd ever seen, and she wasn't sure, but she thought she heard her sneer, "One down...one to go..." as she turned and left as well as the gate closed, its heavy rumble audible despite the distance. Zuko, however, didn't move. He just stood there, one arm behind his back, the other thrust back to her.

She knew what he was feeling. He wasn't close to his father or his sister, he'd lost his mother...Iroh was the only family he really had. It was Iroh that he turned to for guidance, comfort, even just for company.

Now that the balcony was otherwise empty and she no longer had to stand on decorum, she stepped up behind him and wrapped her free arm around him as she rested her chin on his armoured shoulder. Rather than just holding his hand, she twined her fingers through his.

He shifted slightly, taking her other hand in his and pulling them more tightly around him. He drew them upwards until she could feel his breath on her fingers. Part of her thought...hoped...he would kiss them, but he just held them against his chest, against his heart, but she could feel it through the armour...

And so they stood there in the silence, watching as Iroh's ship disappeared over the horizon, and she made a vow to herself...if Iroh could not be there for him, she'd have to be.

* * *

Yue's days had become rather quiet. Zuko was always busy, off somewhere doing whatever his father ordered him to do. The servants rarely came anywhere near her if he wasn't there, they were loath to do anything for her and only did so under duress. She'd never felt very comfortable alone in the palace or its grounds, now she didn't even feel safe, so she kept to their rooms.

She had brought many things with her from the North Pole, items that were dear to her and others that were more functional, like her table loom. She would often sit at it during her many quiet hours, fashioning coarse yak-elk wool into fabric as the women of her tribe had for generations. The familiar task was monotonous, but very comforting.

"You make your own cloth?" A snide voice enquired. She spun to see Azula leaning against the doorframe. She slinked into the room without invitation and peered at Yue's handiwork. "How...quaint..." She smiled, testing the fabric between taloned fingers.

"It's rather coarse." She said with a frown. "But I suppose that's what you're used to."

Yue tried not to bristle at the thinly veiled insult.

"Do you make your own clothes, too?" She asked with an arced brow.

"Yes." She confirmed.

"How wonderfully productive of you." She smiled. "And the colour..." She went on. "Have you ever considered anything that isn't blue?"

"What's wrong with blue?" Yue demanded, a little defensively. She was very proud of her heritage.

"Nothing." Azula admitted. "But it does kind of make you stand out."

"Stand out?" Yue echoed.

"Well...ever since the Avatar returned...there are those who are rather suspicious of anything that isn't Fire Nation." She smirked that smirk of hers. "I know you'd never hurt us...but the people...they're very protective of the royal family..." She leaned in close. "You never know what's on their overly patriotic little minds..."

Yue's eyes widened. The heavy silence left in the wake of Azula's words became almost palatable.

"What are you doing in here?"

The pair turned to see Zuko, his eyes narrowed, all but stalking into the room. There had been a hard edge to his voice that Yue had never heard before.

There was something in the way the two circled each other that reminded her of polar leopards. They were sizing each other up, manoeuvring into position. Zuko, she noticed, had put himself between her and his sister, his honey-gold eyes never leaving his sister's deeper amber ones. His intentions were clear...he was protecting her from what he saw as a threat. Yue knew the siblings didn't get along, but she hadn't realised that their animosity ran so deep.

Azula was the one to break the tension in the room. Her stance relaxed as she paused in front of the open door.

"I'm just getting to know my sister-in-law." She said sweetly. "Don't you think I should? We're family now after all."

Zuko didn't say anything, he just glared at her smirking face.

"Well...anyway..." She turned, flouncing through the door. "I'll leave you two to..." She paused in thought for a moment, circling her hand as she did so. "...to whatever it is that you two do..."

Zuko followed, closing the door, quietly but firmly, behind her. He stood there for a moment, his hand resting where the door and jam met, taking a few deep breaths as if struggling to regain his composure. But when he turned she could still see the tension in him, in his eyes, his face, in his entire body.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his voice carefully controlled.

She nodded, but her eyes were still wide. She was still unsettled, both by Azula's presence, and Zuko's reaction to it. It took all her force of will not to back away as he approached her. But he must have sensed her apprehension. He stopped, closed his eyes and took another deep breath. There was fear and pain in his eyes when he opened them.

"Did she...hurt...?" He began, his voice barely audible. He had seen the fear in her eyes as he'd entered. He had heard what Azula had said to her just before he got there.

Yue shook her head. "She scared me a little..." She admitted with a tiny smile, mostly for his benefit. "She's quite intimidating..."

"Yeah..." Zuko looked away for a moment, allowing himself a little chuckle. "She's that all right..." He looked back at her, a slight smile on his lips, which faded quickly at the look on her face. Her wide blue eyes still held that haunted look as she gazed up at him, her skin was still paler than usual. Her fingers twisted nervously in the threads of her loom.

"I scared you too..." He realised. He lowered his head and she knew that he was ashamed of that.

"You surprised me..." She began. "I didn't think you could be so...like that..."

"Azula brings out the worst in me." He said softly. He went down on bended knee before her where she sat at her forgotten work so he could look her straight in the eye.

"She takes great delight in tormenting me." He said. "In destroying anything and everything I care about. So when I saw her here..." He lowered his head.

"You feared the worst." Yue surmised.

"It's pretty much an automatic response." He sighed. He looked up to meet her gaze.

"I guess a healthy ferociousness is part of being a firebender." She said.

"It does help to be aggressive..." He admitted. "Though there is more to it than that." He took her hands in his. "But I want you to know...I would never turn that aggression...that ferociousness...on you."

She reached out and gently traced the curve of his face. Even when she'd been frightened she knew he'd never deliberately turn his anger on her, so she had no reason not to believe his words. She knew she would only ever see that side of him when he was protecting her.

She just hoped she wouldn't have to see it too often.

* * *

Though she didn't say anything, Zuko knew Yue had been quite shaken by Azula's little stunt. Though she hadn't actually made a move against her, her subtle threat weighed heavily on both their minds. It had echoed Iroh's warning, a warning that Zuko had not shared with his wife, but it had strengthen the possibility that someone might make a move against her.

He also knew that he had to do something so as not to see a repeat of the incident with Azula. The only way to keep Yue safe from his sister was to keep one or the other in sight. If he could not be with Yue he made sure he could see exactly what his sister was up to. He made certain that Azula had no free access to Yue.

Of course that didn't mean Azula didn't have free access to him...

The meeting had run overtime and he was running late. The light was already fading from the sky and he knew Yue was waiting for him so he was walking a little more briskly than usual.

"Rushing home to the little woman?" Azula teased as she fell into step beside him. His narrowed eyes slid briefly towards her smug face, but otherwise he did his best to ignore her, no easy task with her apparent inability to leave him alone. He wondered briefly if her two friends back at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls had breathed a sigh of relief when she'd been called home. At least if offered them some peace.

"But I suppose you have to for as long as you can." She continued, checking her fingernails in a nonchalant way. "After Zhao amasses his armada and destroys the Northern Water Tribe she'll have to be dealt with. I know you'll miss your little pet, but don't worry, father will find you another wife...a proper Fire Nation wife. I was going to suggest Mai...she still likes you for some reason, though I can't for the life of me imagine why...but given what a weak firebender you are you'll have to marry another firebender. We have to make certain that your offspring are firebenders after all..."

She continued to prattle on, but Zuko was no longer paying much attention to what she was saying...it would only be hurtful, designed to get a rise out of him. His eyes had widened when she'd mentioned the armada, and he was suddenly glad that it was dark and she'd been too preoccupied with some invisible flaw she'd found in one of her fingernails to notice his reaction. It had taken all his strength of will not to stop dead in his tracks...he knew that was the reaction she was hoping for. And when she hadn't gotten it she'd launched straight into an attack on Yue.

He remembered his childhood mantra...Azula always lies. This had to be a lie...they had a treaty with the Northern Water Tribe...his marriage to Yue had sealed it. To break it by invading them would be completely dishonourable. But Iroh had warned him to keep a close eye on his wife, that there was likely those who would wish to do her harm. There could be some truth behind Azula's words. Could he risk Yue's life...and her peoples'...by brushing Azula's taunt off as a lie?

"Anyway..." Azula's change in tone caught his attention...he could almost hear her roll her eyes. Either she was finished or she realised he was no longer listening. "I have to go have a word with the royal manicurist...and you have to go spend some time with your little snowflake...we can't have her getting all suspicious on us now can we?"

* * *

Zuko stood in mesmerised silence as he watched his wife sleep in the bed they still didn't share. There was a slight crease to her brow which gave her face a troubled look. Seeing it he knew he'd made the right decision. He had to get her out of the Fire Nation.

Their evening had passed like any other. They had eaten in their rooms, Yue was not comfortable in the presence of his family now that his uncle was gone so they rarely ate with them. They had talked about their days, she'd done a little weaving, working some purple into the fabric he noticed. Then they had gotten ready for bed.

He had waited for some time before soundlessly entering the sleeping chamber to make sure that she was asleep...and she had captivated him. He shook his head to clear it then left as quietly as he'd entered, using the skills he'd developed in order to avoid his sister during her frequent visits from school. He almost chuckled when he realised he was pretty much doing the same thing now.

He glanced at the golden couch that served as his bed. He'd arranged pillows beneath the blankets to give the illusion that there was a body there, as he'd done several times in his youth when he'd snuck out to visit some of his uncle's favourite haunts in the city.

He headed for one of them now.

He sighed as he looked up at the faded shingle that hung above the door. He wasn't sure what Uncle's Pai Sho buddies could do, but the old man had been adamant that if he ever needed help that they were the ones to turn to. He took a deep breath and entered the seedy looking establishment.

He had made certain not to wear anything that would give away his royal status but it was obvious that he didn't belong. He pulled his hood a little tighter around his face as every single person in the place looked up from what they were doing to study him. He reached into his pocket, his fingers tightening on the item his uncle had told him to bring with him.

A harmless looking old man excused himself with a nod to his competitor and rose from their Pai Sho board.

"Can I help you, young man?" He asked as he approached.

"My uncle sent me." Zuko explained as he withdrew his hand from his pocket, opening it to reveal the single Pai Sho tile on his palm. It was emblazed with a stylised flower. "He said you could help me."

* * *

_Avatar: The Last Airbender _and all related characters are © of Bryan Konietzko, Michael DiMartino, Nickelodeon and Viacom International Inc


	8. Chapter 8

_**AN: **Okay...there's a little bit of an 'adult situation' at the start here...nothing major...but I thought a warning was in order..._

* * *

_ Chapter Eight_

Yue lay on the grass watching the fish circling each other. It was her favourite place in the whole world, surprisingly warm for the dead of winter. She wanted to trail her fingers in the pool's inviting waters but she didn't dare. It had mystical, magical properties, or so she'd been told, and there was no telling what it might do to her. So she just focused on the fish, endlessly chasing each other, desperately reaching for each other, but somehow never able to touch…

"Yue…"

The voice was soft, barely a whisper, but she heard it perfectly. Its suddenness startled her so much that she sat up reflexively, as if ready to flee, as she looked towards its source.

Zuko stood framed in the wooden entrance, his flowing black robes a dark contrast to the pale blue. His hair was down, she hadn't realised it was so long, blending almost perfectly with the ebony cloth he wore. His eyes locked with hers as he moved silently towards one of the bridges that arched over to the island. His intense golden gaze didn't release her even as he stalked across the perfect lawn. She half expected him to leave smoking footprints in his wake, his expression was so scorching, his eyes so smouldering, she could almost feel the heat radiating off him.

She should be afraid, she thought, there was something predatory in his movements, in his eyes, but she wasn't. She was perfectly happy to be his prey.

He dropped to his knees as he reached her, one arm flashing out so quickly to encircle her waist she hadn't even seen it move. She gasped as that arm retracted, crushing her against his chest. She could definitely feel the heat of him now, so intense that it was making her feel light-headed. Or maybe it was the sultry look in his half-lidded eyes that was causing that.

They seemed to be lit by some internal fire of their own as he searched her face. She let out a shuddering sigh as those beautiful fiery orbs focused on her lips, causing him to lick his own in response. He leaned in, the hand on her back sliding deliciously up her spine as the other found her shoulder. Nimble fingers teased at the neck of her snow-white gown, slipping beneath it and drawing it away to expose the skin of her collarbone while the hand itself began to travel downwards to trace the top of the curve below.

Her own hands found the overlap at the front of his robe, slipping inside to quickly push the heavy fabric over his shoulders and down his arms, stopping only when it caught at his elbows. His body, at least what she could see of it, was smooth and firm, almost as pale as marble, and even more luminous. She ran her fingers over the silky perfection of his skin and it was his turn to let out a shuddering sigh. His head arced back, his eyes closed, and she was sure she saw steam escape his nostrils. She could feel the hand at her back fist in the fabric of her gown, tugging it ever so slightly down, exposing just a little bit more of her shoulder.

His head came back up and she could see an inferno blazing in his eyes now. She could feel the heat in her own body rising to meet his. The fingers of the hand that kept her trapped against him splayed against her back as he began to slowly lower her down to the grass. The other hand returned to her shoulder, pushing the fabric aside as his lips, so hot she didn't know how he couldn't have left a mark, closed on her throat.

"Yue…" He whispered against her skin.

"Mmmm…Zuko…" She responded, a smile slowly spreading across her face.

* * *

Zuko sat back with wide eyes and released Yue's shoulder. Her reaction to his gentle shake to rouse her from her sleep had surprised him. It was so…so…well he didn't really want to think about how it was. It was already having an effect on him that was highly inappropriate given the current situation, and it was only thanks to years of meditation that he managed to stifle it.

He reached out with a tentative finger and poked her lightly in the shoulder this time, instead of leaning in close to whisper in her ear.

Her eyes opened slowly, the smile returning as she looked up into the golden eyes that hovered over her. But these eyes were not smouldering and intense, they were confused, worried, and even a little frightened.

"Zuko!" She gasped, sitting up and pulling her already well tied sleepwear tighter about her throat. "What are you doing in here? Is something wrong?"

"No…no…" He shook his head. "We just have to go…now!"

She glanced at the windows, the image of her confident and amorous dream Zuko being quickly replaced by the awkward and flustered actual Zuko as reality reasserted itself.

"It's still dark." She commented. "What time is it?"

"It's late." He confirmed. "Well…early…actually…"

"And we have to go _NOW_?" She questioned.

"Yes." He nodded.

"And nothing's wrong?"

"No…" He shook his head again, his eyes wide. "There's nothing wrong…it's just…well…it's a surprise…and you wouldn't want me to ruin the surprise would you?"

"Alright." She looked at him a little sceptically. A good liar Zuko was not. Something was obviously worrying him. "Just give me a few minutes to get ready…"

Zuko was quite anxious by the time Yue had dressed and fixed her hair. He wondered why she had to wear it in such an elaborate style…it took her ages to braid and pin it. At least she did it herself and didn't need the assistance of any servants, the fewer of the household staff that knew what was going on, the better. He didn't want to put any of them at risk when his father discovered them gone.

The whole situation was making him sick. He wasn't sure what he should really do. He didn't want to betray his country or his people, but he couldn't just stand by and let Yue's people die. It would mean breaking the treaty, and even if his father was willing to justify this outrage in some way, there was no way Zuko would taint his own honour by going along with it. Besides, hadn't they both agreed that they were now part of each other's culture? Her tribe was his tribe as much as his people were hers.

And then there was Yue.

Even if she did somehow miraculously survive the wholesale slaughter of her people…what would that do to her? Even now he still felt the loss of his mother, and that had been the loss of a single person, an extremely important person in his young life, but a single person nonetheless. And he wasn't even certain that she was gone forever.

So he'd turned his thoughts to his cousin. Lu Ten was truly gone, gone forever. It had been a different feeling then, one he couldn't really comprehend. Lu Ten would no longer be a part of his life, he would never hear his laughter again, or his stories, or his encouragement when he practiced a new firebending move for him. It had been a hard concept to grasp for his, at the time, ten year old mind, but he'd had his mother to comfort him, to tell him of the Spirit World and the special place in the Afterlife for those who had died an honourable death. He'd felt much better after that.

And his grandfather, Azulon…he was gone too, but that hadn't affected him much at all. He felt a little guilty about that now, like he should have experienced some sense of loss, but he hadn't been all that close to his grandfather, in truth he wasn't all that close to many people at all. A certain level of detachment had always permeated his life. He didn't know if that was a family trait or a cultural one. With the exception of his mother, and more recently his uncle, he'd never spent too much time in the company of any member of his family. Maybe he didn't feel loss so much because he was never really close to people to begin with.

But he knew that wasn't the case with Yue. She would speak so fondly of her father, of her family and friends, even of the stern-faced Waterbending Master who had been one of the witnesses at their wedding. She loved her people…truly _LOVED_ them. His dedication to his own people was born out of his ingrained sense of honour…an over-developed sense his sister would always laughingly tease him…and of his duty as their Crown Prince. He wanted to keep them from needless harm, he'd spoken out about that in the past, but they were little more than a faceless mass to him. But Yue knew her people…at least a good many of them…she would feel their loss…grieve it…and there may be far too much grief for her to bear.

He wouldn't let her suffer…he wouldn't let her people suffer…even if it meant damning himself in the eyes of his own nation. He had admitted to himself how much she meant to him, even if he wasn't able to confess it to her. He would willingly sacrifice himself for her.

His hand tightened a little on hers as he led her through the shadowy hallways of the palace, hallways that he'd only ever explored as a child, to one of the many servants' entrances.

"Why are we going this way?" Yue asked quietly as she glanced at the simply decorated walls and simple wooden doors set into them. It was cold in this part of the palace and she pulled the deep crimson travelling cloak he'd presented her with a little tighter about herself.

"It's late." Zuko said matter-of-factly. "We don't want to wake anyone up."

The man he had spoken to had given him specific instructions. To be at the northern entrance at precisely two bells. His hand touched the door's bolt just as the first chime sounded. He frowned as he slid the simple locking mechanism aside to open the door. It couldn't be closed from the outside, someone would find it open and know someone had exited here and not come back...there would be evidence…

The second chime rang out. He pulled the door open. The harmless looking old man smiled at him, an elderly woman in servants' robes at his side. He was almost certain he'd seen her face before. Did she work in the kitchens?

She bowed reverently to him, then slipped past him and through the door, closing it softly behind her. He barely heard the well-oiled bolt slide home.

The harmless looking old man repeated the bow.

"Good morning, Your Highnesses." He smiled. "Everything is ready." His eyes met Zuko's for a moment, conveying far more than his simple words.

Zuko placed his fist against his palm, bowing from the neck to show his thanks.

* * *

"A cruise?" Yue arced a perfect snowy brow. "That's your surprise?"

"In part." Zuko smiled. There was still an air of anxiousness to him, but it had decreased significantly as soon as they'd left the main island behind them.

"And the reason we had to leave so early?" She questioned.

"Well…" He glanced upwards at the pale blush of the early morning sky. "We didn't _HAVE_ to leave early…" He placed his hands gently on her shoulders, delighting in her slight shiver as he slid them down her upper arms. Taking her by the elbows he turned her around so that she was facing east. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "But we'd have missed the sun rise. And to see the sun rising over the ocean is quite breathtaking."

They stood in contented silence as they watched the bright golden sliver of the sun crest the horizon, setting the deep blue water ablaze. The fiery orb emerged so slowly it almost seemed reluctant to be parted from the ocean, the water holding on so tightly as if it didn't want to let it go.

Zuko hadn't released her arms. She leaned back against his chest, feeling the heat rising in him in parallel to the embodiment of his element. She assumed it was a firebender thing…but then why could she feel her own body begin to warm in response?

"I've always been told that fire and water are opposites…that they can only destroy each other…" Zuko was saying. "But when you see them like this…"

"…they're so perfect together…" She sighed.

Silence descended upon them again, neither feeling the need to fill it with pointless small talk. They just stood and watched the beautiful blending of their native elements. She snuggled a bit closer to his warmth, his fingers absently caressing her arms as nature slowly tore fire and water apart before their eyes.

* * *

"We'll be stopping at Ember Island for breakfast." He told her, pointing out the isle in the seemingly endless chain. "The whole island is pretty much one big holiday resort. It's all restaurants and spas and the like. We have a house there, with a private beach and everything…we used to go there every summer…but we haven't used it for a long time…"

"Maybe we could stay there for a while?" She suggested at the play of emotions on his face. He obviously had fond memories of the place.

He shook his head. "It's not so good for the dead of winter. It's pretty open and airy…it was designed with summer in mind. The whole island is, really. It'll probably be pretty quiet."

"Maybe when the weather gets warmer then?" She suggested.

"Maybe…"

Zuko was actually counting on the resort island being fairly uninhabited. There were a few families who actually lived there all year round, and the people who actually ran the businesses there, but most only came for the summer, or, like them, stopped briefly on their way somewhere else. It would be best if his presence were to go unnoticed.

Their vessel pulled in at one of the public docks without incident, and he offered Yue his hand to help her disembark, excusing himself for a moment to talk to the captain…or at least what passed for the captain…of the rather non-descript little boat.

Yue occupied herself by browsing the market stalls that lined the pier. It was still very early, and as Zuko had already pointed out, it was the off season, so not many were operating. Most displayed various food-stuffs…freshly baked breads and pastries…the day's catch…but it was the one with hand-crafted jewellery that caught her eye. Her hand went to the carved stone at her throat. She wore a piece that Zuko had given her, she always found comfort in its touch when he wasn't around. Perhaps she could find something for him.

He didn't really wear jewellery so she passed by the necklaces and rings. She thought about the hair ornaments, but she doubted he'd ever wear anything but his princely crown. But then, she smiled to herself as she recalled her dream of that morning, she thought he looked quite fetching with his hair down.

Maybe the armbands or wrist guards then. The men of her tribe wore those too, though they generally didn't wear matched sets, and they were more often made of leather than beaten metal. There was some beautiful craftsmanship in the designs etched into both metal and leather, but nothing really spoke to her, maybe because she couldn't find anything that combined their elements like the pendant he'd carved for her.

"Can I help you with something there, dear?" The woman who addressed her did a small double-take when Yue raised her head. Her hooded robe hid her snow white hair, but could do nothing for her tan skin and sky blue eyes. But the stall-keeper took it all in stride. "This would go lovely with your colouring." She said, picking up a necklace of delicate silver filigree.

"I wasn't looking for something for myself…" She said, a little shyly. She'd had very little interaction with the people of the Fire Nation, and even though the woman didn't seem at all perturbed by her obvious differences, she was still nervous. She glanced behind her to where Zuko was still in deep conversation with the boat captain. He noticed her look, she had little doubt he was keeping a watchful eye on her, and smiled.

"Something for your young man, then." The woman surmised with a knowing smile of her own.

* * *

They strolled along the beach, side by side, as Zuko lead her to wherever it was he had in mind for breakfast. The morning was bright and clear, though quite cool, and the sound of the soothing surf seemed to be having a calming effect on him.

Such a stroll with such scenery would be considered quite romantic for most, but Zuko didn't speak to her, his hands remained resolutely within his sleeves. But then he'd never been one for displays of public affection…she'd often wondered if they were even allowed…and they weren't exactly alone on the sands now.

Well if he wouldn't…

She reached out and fumbled with his voluminous sleeve. He looked down at her with a confused frown until her searching fingers found his hidden hand and twined their way into his.

"You take me for a romantic walk on the beach and you don't hold my hand?" She teased.

"Sorry…" He mumbled. "I guess my mind was somewhere else…"

"Oh?" Her eyebrows rose. "We're taking a romantic walk and you weren't thinking about me? That's going to cost you." She smiled.

Zuko's eyes widened for a moment until he noticed the playful look on her face.

"And just what is it going to cost me?"

"I'll think of something."

He cleared his throat awkwardly and pointed with their joined hands to a low building with a broad veranda. "The Golden Crane." He said as he began to lead her towards it. "One of Ember Island's finest dinning establishments."

He dropped her hand as they stepped onto the veranda. "I'll get us a table."

She smiled as he wove agilely between the little wooden islands of the mostly empty tables, then turned to admire the ocean. She had missed the sea. Even though she wasn't a bender she still felt a connection to it. She sighed happily as the scent of salt on the air reached her.

She hadn't noticed the two teenaged boys as they approached her, but they had noticed her. As soon as they'd stepped onto the vast platform from one of its many entrances they'd been whispering to each other. Despite the deep red cloak she wore, her slim, very feminine figure, was obvious. And though the hood hid her hair, her face was still visible.

She jumped as one of them spoke.

"Hey there." He said with an almost sleazy smile. "We're Chan…"

"…and Ruon Jian…" The other added from her other side, casually flicking his long hair from his eyes.

"We haven't seen you around here before…" The first one, whom she assumed was Chan, said.

"I'm just visiting…" She managed, looking from one to the other.

"Is that right?" Chan smirked. "Well that's perfect. We're like the island's unofficial welcome wagon…"

"We can show you all the sights." Ruon Jian nodded.

They were both extremely attractive, but unlike Zuko, they were both highly aware of that fact, and appeared to feel that gave them some sort superiority, or some natural irresistibility. A part of her wished Zuko shared some of their confidence, just not too much of it. There was also something predatory about them…something they had in common with just about every Fire Nation native she'd met. But if Zuko was a polar leopard, then these two were artic wolf-bats, their coordinated efforts designed to take down their prey.

"Excuse me."

Speaking of her polar leopard.

Zuko twisted the pair away with little more than a firm hand on their shoulders, shoving them aside as he placed himself next to her in one fluid movement.

Chan eyed him for a moment. He was a little shorter, but it was hard to determine his build under his travelling cloak. Of course he had Ruon Jian to back him up…

Still…given the pale golden colour and intensity of his eyes…he could be a bender…and Chan knew better than to mess with a bender…

"Who is this?" He asked Yue. "You're brother?"

"Her husband." Zuko replied dangerously.

"Husband?" Chan took a step back. "Aren't you two kinda young to be…married…?"

"We're old enough." Zuko told him in that same low tone.

"Hey!" Ruon Jian spread his hand in an open gesture. "We don't want any trouble…"

"We were just trying to be good hosts." Chan added.

"Hosts?" Zuko echoed.

"They're the island's unofficial welcome wagon." Yue informed him.

"I'll bet." Zuko snorted.

"So…yeah…" The pair backed away. "We hope you have a nice time here on our lovely island."

"They certainly gave up easily." Yue noted as they headed out onto the beach.

"So you were enjoying their attention?" Zuko looked at her with an odd expression.

"No…" She shook her head. "But…there were two of them…if they'd wanted to press the point…"

"It's an honour thing." Zuko said. "There's very few in the Fire Nation who'll interfere with the sanctity of marriage…"

"And if we hadn't been married?"

"Then we might have had a problem…" He admitted, absently stroking the still rather sparse beard on his chin. "I'd have hated to damage this lovely establishment."

The young waitress, who Yue hadn't even noticed before, looked nervous at Zuko's words.

"Um…your table…?" She stammered.

* * *

Zuko seemed to be more or less back to his old self as they made small talk over breakfast, but he still seemed to be rather anxious. He kept glancing at the restaurant's entrances, at the height of the sun in the sky.

"Those boys…" She said, bringing his attention back to her. "They didn't seem to know who you are…"

"Most teenagers don't have a lot of interest in politics." He admitted. "And I'm not exactly dressed in a way to bring attention to the fact that I am…who I am…"

"And why is that?" She asked as she sipped the warm spicy drink he'd suggested for her.

"To be honest, it can be a bit of a bore to have people fawning over you all the time." He smiled. "It can be useful too I guess…and some of the perks are pretty good…"

"Speaking of perks…" She said. "I got you something…"

"You did?" He frowned. "When?"

"At the pier…" She smiled. "…while you were talking to the boat captain."

"I gave you that money to get something nice for yourself."

"And I wanted to get something for you." She told him. "I have your necklace…" She touched her throat, feeling its shape even beneath the multiple layers of fabric. "I wanted you to be able to wear something from me."

"Fair enough." He chuckled. "So let's see it…what did you get me?"

She giggled at his sudden enthusiasm…he was like a little boy at the Winter Solstice…and drew a small, cloth-wrapped parcel from inside her cloak, pushing it across the table to him. He untied the cloth to reveal a pair of dark leather wrist guards. Each bore an identical, engraved design inlaid with silver, of a dragon, curled around in a circle, a pale disc held gently in its fore-claw within the coil of its body.

"It was hard to find something that combined our cultures…the designs were mostly just flames and suns…but then I saw these. I know I'm probably misinterpreting it, but it looks like the dragon is protecting the moon…"

"So I'm the dragon and you're the moon?" He asked as he pushed up his sleeves and began to lace them on to his wrists.

"Something like that." She smiled.

He covered her hands with his, partly so she could admire her gift to him, but mostly just so he could touch her.

"I can live with that." He said softly.

Neither of them were looking at his wrists.

* * *

_Avatar: The Last Airbender_ and all related characters are (C) of Bryan Konietzko, Michael DiMartino, Nickelodeon and Viacom International Inc


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter Nine_

After breakfast Zuko lead her along what appeared to be a more up-market pier. Here, instead of stalls, where grand shop fronts with displays of wares protected by thin sheets of what looked like ice, but she knew that wasn't what it was.

"It's glass." Zuko told here when he noticed her expression. "It's made out of sand, limestone and lead. I'm not really sure how it's made…but I know it's heated until it melts. When it's cooled it becomes this." He rapped his knuckle lightly on the pane. "It offers protection for the merchant's wares, so they can be displayed without the risk of…sticky fingers…" He smiled.

"It's quite reflective…" Yue said, touching the image of her own fingers on its surface.

"We use it for mirrors too." Zuko said. "It's treated differently for that, so that it's reflective but no longer transparent. It's a pretty costly process, so only the wealthiest people have glass mirrors."

"How wealthy do you have to be?" She questioned. "You're the Crown Prince and you don't have one."

"Well...I'm not that vain that I need one. I'm happy with polished bronze." He grinned. "Azula's got one, though. A big one. It's taller than she is." He chuckled. "I've caught her standing in front of it just admiring herself."

Yue could well imagine the spoiled princess preening in front of her shining mirror, searching for flaws in her perfect attire while numerous servants tended to her hair…she didn't think Azula fixed it herself…she'd seen how the staff fawned over Zuko, who continually waved them off. Azula seemed to revel in her royalty in a way she'd never seen Zuko partake. The fact that she would admire her own reflection did not surprise Yue at all. She'd probably fit in with those two Fire Nation boys perfectly.

"Here we are."

Zuko's voice broke her from her thoughts.

Before them was a sleek little yacht. It looked almost delicate in comparison to the other sea-going vessels that surrounded and dwarfed it.

"This is not the same boat…" She frowned.

"You noticed that?" Zuko smiled, vaulting over its railing to land silently on its deck. He turned, and she expected him to offer her his hand in assistance. Instead, both hands closed around her waist and he easily lifted her over the rail. She blushed slightly as he pulled her down into his arms, her feet feeling weightless as they touched down on the deck.

"Her name is _Namikakeru_." Zuko said as he released her.

"_SHE_ has a name?" Yue asked incredulously.

"All ships are female." Zuko explained. "I don't know why…it's a nautical thing."

"She is quite beautiful." Yue admitted, running her hand along the highly polished wooden railing. "I thought Fire Nation craft were metal…"

"Not all of them." Zuko said softly, uncomfortably, looking to the huge Navy vessel off to port. "That's mostly kept for the military…"

"So she's a wooden craft then?" Yue liked the idea, it reminded her of the ships of the Water Tribe. Beautifully hand-crafted vessels that were cherished for generations.

"Not entirely." Zuko admitted. "She has an engine along with the sail." He gestured to the mast. "You can't always rely on wind power. But the best thing is that I can pilot her all by myself."

It had been one of the few stipulations he'd made to his uncle's friend…he didn't want anyone else to be involved. It would be enough for Yue's people to accept him in their midst, if they even did. He was hoping his marriage to their princess would grant him some kind of amnesty in their eyes. And he didn't want any of his countrymen to suffer because of his decision.

"You know how to pilot a boat?" She asked.

"We are a seafaring nation." Zuko smiled. "And there are certain expectations for the male members of the royal family."

A dusky-skinned man stepped out of the craft's cabin, bowing respectfully.

"Everything is in readiness, You Highness." He said.

"Thank you." Zuko said, returning the bow. The man then bowed to Yue and disembarked from the tiny ship.

"So…are you ready?" Zuko asked a little too brightly as soon as the man was gone.

"Where are we going exactly?" She asked.

"To see the Fire Nation." He smiled. "There are a dozen major islands, and countless minor ones…and you've only seen two…and I'm going to be Fire Lord one day…so that means you're going to be my queen and so it'll all belong to you…kind of…and I just thought you'd like to see it…you know…before things get too crazy…"

He was babbling, something he did when he was nervous, and by the way Yue was looking at him he knew she knew it too. He swallowed, worried that she was going to question him, and he'd have to tell her everything, he simply didn't have his sister's gift for lying.

But she just smiled at him in that knowing, indulgent way that only women seemed capable of. She moved from her spot by the rail and hooked her arm through his.

"Alright." She said. "Why don't you show me how you sail this thing?"

It had been a wonderful, though surprising day. Zuko had been true to his word, he knew how to pilot the swift little craft through a combination of sails and firebending that she couldn't begin to understand.

Yue had expected to see more islands, but their route had mostly taken them through empty ocean. There was one, a tiny grey thing, totally devoid of vegetation with what looked like steam rising from the centre, that he'd given a wide berth and spoken little about. A while later they anchored just off a foreboding island covered with lush jungles, a complete contrast to the last one she'd seen. Zuko was looking at it with a mixture of awe, fear and suspicion. She couldn't blame him…it gave her the chills.

"What is this place?" She asked, wrapping her arms around herself.

"The cradle of life." Zuko said grimly. He turned to look at her. "At least for my people. Our race originated here."

"Really?" Yue looked back at the island. It seemed so cold, empty and primeval. It was hard to believe that the fiery and industrious Fire Nation had sprung from this spot.

"According to the legends." He shrugged. "It was here that the dragons taught us to firebend."

"There are dragons here!?" She gasped, looking upwards, half expecting to see a giant, scaly, fire-breathing monster bearing down on them.

"No…" Zuko said sadly. "There are no dragons now…"

She'd have been relieved if he hadn't seemed so downcast by the fact.

"They must have been amazing." He said with a slight smile.

"Terrifying is the word that comes to my mind." She said with a shudder.

"Don't let their appearance fool you." He said. "They were highly honourable and majestic creatures…and wise beyond belief. Of course, they could also reduce a city to cinders with little more than a sneeze…"

She looked at him with wide, startled eyes, relaxing only when she saw his smile.

"You're teasing me…"

"Maybe a little." He admitted. He looked to the horizon. She followed his gaze and was surprised to find the sun had already begun to sink back into the sea.

"It's getting late." He said. "I'll heat you some dinner…I hope you don't mind the fish stew again."

"Dinner?" She frowned. "Shouldn't we be heading for home?"

He froze in the cabin's doorway, laying a hand on its frame to support himself. He'd been dreading this moment, the moment when he would have to tell her just what he was doing, and what his father was planning. He'd gone over it a hundred times in his head in a hundred different ways. He still didn't know how to break it to her…

"We are heading home…" He said softly, turning to look at her. "_YOUR_ home…"

"_NO_!" She protested, her eyes suddenly filled with fear. It was certainly not the reaction he'd expected.

She ran to him, gripping the front of his robes, searching his face imploringly before dropping to her knees before him, head bowed.

"Whatever it is I've done to displease you I can make amends." She pleaded. "Is it because we have not lain together? Then take me. Take me now!"

To say Zuko was stunned would be an understatement. He was completely confused, totally flabbergasted.

"Wha…wha…what are you talking about?" He managed.

She looked up at him, tearfully. "When a woman of my tribe marries, her husband's family, his home, becomes her own." She explained. "If she is taken back to her father's home it is because she has displeased her husband. It is the greatest dishonour…"

Zuko blinked. After all the time they'd spent together he had almost forgotten that they came from two totally different worlds, from two very different cultures. When he found his voice he took her by the shoulders and pulled her back up onto her feet. He lifted her head with a gentle finger under her chin, smiling at her reassuringly.

"You've done nothing to displease me, Yue." He said softly, cupping her face in his hands and brushing her tears away with his thumbs. "How could you even think that?" His smile faded and he turned away. "It is my father who displeases me…"

"Your father…?" She echoed.

Zuko sighed heavily. He didn't want to say it, but he knew he had to. She deserved to know.

"He plans to invade your people."

"What?" She stepped away from him instinctively. "But…the treaty…our union…"

"Obviously doesn't mean that much to him…"

"I thought you were an honourable people!" She snapped. "I thought you kept your word!"

"It's only my father who had broken his word." Zuko growled, his own anger rising at her questioning his honour. "It is not something I plan to do." He turned away from her, gazing out at the island that was his ancestral home.

"I'm taking you home so you'll be safe…and so we can warn your people…" He said quietly. "…our people…" He corrected himself.

She remembered the discussion that they had had, one morning over breakfast. She had told him his people were her people, and he had declared that hers were his.

"But…you have a duty to the Fire Nation…" She moved closer to him.

"I know!" He said, the pain evident in his voice. "But I have a duty to the Water Tribe as well. I couldn't just stand by and let them be destroyed! I couldn't let you be destroyed." He turned to her as she lay a hand on his arm. "You mean too much to me." He whispered as he lowered his head to rest his forehead against hers. "I can no longer imagine my life without you. It would be cold…empty…"

"I know exactly how you feel…" She whispered back as she stroked his cheek.

There was no arriving transport, no ill-timed servant or returning Avatar to disturb them this time as they leaned towards each other.

He had meant for it to be a chaste kiss, the merest whisper of his mouth on hers, but something happened as their lips met. All their un-acted upon attraction, all their denied desire, erupted in a passion so pure, so powerful, that it threatened to overwhelm them both.

His arms coiled around her, pulling her closer as his hands shamelessly caressed parts of her body that would normally have had him running from the room in rosy embarrassment at the mere thought of touching them. Meanwhile, her arms snaked around his neck, pulling him down within easier reach. He drank deeply of the refreshing coolness of her lips as she revelled in the spicy warmth of his.

They parted only due to lack of air, but even then they didn't move, didn't release each other. They scanned each other's flushed face with half-lidded eyes as the warmth of the other's panting breath washed over them. Then by some unspoken agreement they crashed together again, like the waves against the sun-baked beach.

His hands moved lower, following the curve of her body until they were positioned in such a way that he could lift her from the deck. She didn't resist him, she didn't even break the kiss, as he swept her up in his arms. She trusted him explicitly as he carried her into the craft's small but luxuriously appointed cabin.

Given the heat that was emanating from his body, she half expected him to simply toss her on the fur-strewn sleeping platform and ravage her then and there. She was actually a little disappointed when he set her gently on her feet and pulled away.

The sun had fully set now and the room was lit only by the glow of the fire from the boiler that both powered the ship and warmed the cabin. His native element was reflected in his eyes giving the illusion that they were lit from within. At the moment they were searching her face with an unspoken question. It took her a while to realise he was giving her the choice, waiting for a sign from her before he proceeded any further.

Things were moving rather fast now, maybe too fast. She was scared, but she also knew this was something she wanted, something she'd wanted for quite some time. She took a step forward, back into his inviting warmth. She placed her hands on his chest, feeling him tremble as she ran them up to his shoulders. His breath hitched in his throat as her fingers grazed the exposed skin of his neck. She smiled slightly as she realised he was just as scared as she was.

He gently brushed her cheek with the back of his hand and she wondered what he was doing until he pulled the large ornament at the top of her braid free from her hair before setting to work on the other. His fingers were surprisingly gentle as he nimbly removed all the ornamentation from her hair. The moon had risen now, its light streaming through the cabin's wide windows. It danced off her skin, sparkled in her hair, making it shine like silver. He was still holding the topmost piece, the mark of her office, when he bowed his head to grant her access to his.

It was a far easier task, she realised, to free him of his princely crown. She had only to pull the pin and lift the golden cuff and flame upwards. He shook out his hair as she removed it, several strands falling rakishly across his forehead. She gasped as she suddenly found herself looking at the Zuko from her dream of…had it only been that morning? Of course this Zuko still lacked the confidence of her dream lover. His face was slightly flushed, his eyes uncertain, and he still shuddered whenever she touched him. But then, she was feeling the exact same way…

He turned slightly, placing her hair ornament on a low table. She placed his beside it. Their eyes remained on the table for a moment as they took in the symbolism. With their regal ornamentation removed they were, in essence, no longer a prince and a princess. They were just a boy and a girl…a man and a woman.

A husband and a wife…

Whatever passed between them this night would not be the result of their duty to their people, of their royal responsibilities to their respective lineages. It would be born out of the love they were only now willing to admit that they shared.


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter Ten_

Yue wasn't at all surprised to awaken alone.

She knew how worried Zuko was, how much he feared for her safety. He wanted to get her home to her tribe where he believed she would be protected. She wasn't entirely sure she agreed with him. The Northern Water Tribe had remained virtually untouched by the war, but had still seen its share of raids. She had heard her father discussing them at council. How they had been systematic; that the Fire Nation had never attacked in the same way twice; that he feared they were searching for weaknesses in their defences. It was the main reason behind the council's decision that led her to an arranged marriage with the Fire Lord's son.

She hadn't talked to him about it, of course. There had been precious little conversation last night. There had been a lot of kisses, countless caresses and innumerable smiles, but very little in the way of talking beyond a scattering of breathlessly whispered endearments.

She smiled again at the memories of it all, blushing slightly. It had been awkward at first. Awkward and clumsy, much like their marriage had been. But like their marriage, it had slowly turned into something beautiful as they got more comfortable with each other and learned more about what the other liked. And falling asleep, blissfully exhausted, in the warmth of his arms…that was something she could definitely get used to.

Her smile widened at that thought until she shifted under the furs and muscles she hadn't even known she possessed protested at the movement. He was definitely in far better shape than she was. She chewed on her bottom lip for a few moments as she considered her current options. She couldn't lounge around in bed all day, as tempting as the thought might be. Besides, there was another thought far more tempting.

She slipped out of bed, shivering slightly as she found her robes and quickly pulled them on. The air, even in the cabin, was noticeably cooler. She wondered just how far they'd travelled while he'd let her sleep. She pulled on her boots and padded up the spiralling stairs that led to the upper deck and the boat's small bridge.

It was open to the air and bordering on freezing cold. Zuko was, as she expected, at the helm, one hand on the wheel as the other ran over the charts at his side. His hair was unbound…Spirits, she loved it like that…spilling over his shoulders and shifting slightly in the gentle breeze.

She stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms tightly about his waist, revealing in his glorious warmth, and in the simple act of touching him. She was almost lifted from the deck as he took in a deep breath which he then let out in a deep sigh. His hand left the charts to cover hers where they rested against his belly.

"How are you feeling?" He asked softly, a hint of worry in his voice.

She was quiet for a moment, rubbing her cheek against the space between his shoulder blades. Her grip on his waist tightened a little as she was reminded of the initial…discomfort…both by his words and the dull ache that still plagued her muscles.

"I'm fine." She assured him. And she was, really. The good memories of their first night together far outweighed the bad. She felt so much closer to him now, in a way that she never would have thought possible. A spiritual bond had been created with the physical one; one that she felt could never be broken.

His hand left the wheel to pull a lever at its side. She heard a sound, something between a rattle and a rumble, then something heavy hitting the water. The anchor, she realised.

He twisted quickly in her arms so that her cheek now lay against his chest. His arms encircled her now as well. She lifted her head to look at him as his hands smoothed out her sleep-ruffled hair. He smiled at her, that sweet little lopsided twitch to his lips that made her stomach, and various other parts, tingle. She closed her eyes in anticipation of those deliciously warm, spicy lips meeting hers.

But all she got was a startled gasp.

She opened her eyes to find he wasn't even looking at her. She frowned, a little annoyed when one hand left her back. His smile, that wonderful smile that should have been for her, widened as he watched a tiny speck of white drift towards his now outstretched hand, disappearing before it could nestle in the warmth of his palm.

She followed his gaze as he looked upwards to the myriad of miniature flecks descended slowly on the breeze. It was snowing. She couldn't help but smile herself at his child-like awe at something that was to her so commonplace as she realised it was something he'd never seen before.

"It's beautiful." He whispered, as if fearful his voice would somehow scare it away. He let out a soft laugh as he managed to catch a flake, watching as it vanished in the palm of his hand.

"It's cold and wet." She told him. "Believe me, you'll tire of it soon enough."

* * *

But he didn't.

Days passed and he was still as enchanted as he had been the first time he'd seen it. Maybe it was just because the novelty was yet to wear off, or maybe it was because of the way the snow never seemed to touch him…she guessed that was a firebender thing. Either way, the cold and wet of it didn't seem to bother him in the slightest, barring the way it settled on and soaked his charts.

Of course it wasn't really snowing yet. But the wind was picking up and it was really starting to get cold.

She shivered slightly, pulling her robes more tightly about her.

"Are you cold?" He asked noticing the movement. "I'd have thought you were used to it."

"Just because I was born into this doesn't mean it doesn't affect me." She said haughtily, turning her nose up like a proper spoiled princess would. It only made him laugh.

"Well then…" A wicked smirk spreading across his handsome features. "I guess I'm just going to have to warm…you…up…!"

She let out a startled squeak as he pulled her into his arms before lifting her bodily from the deck to throw her over his shoulder as he stalked into the cabin without even breaking stride.

She found she was complaining about the cold a lot after that.

* * *

Zuko stifled a yawn as he stepped out onto the bridge, shivering slightly as the chilly air bit at his exposed skin. This caused him to frown. He hadn't really felt the cold before, and though the sun was barely up and they had travelled very far into northern waters, his internal fire had always kept him warm. He cupped his hands around his mouth and exhaled into them, noting that his breath of fire was not nearly as large as he'd intended, though it did help to defrost his frigid fingers.

He didn't think any more of it as he stepped up to the wheel and drew up the anchor. If he'd plotted their course correctly they should be arriving at the Northern Water Tribe some time in the afternoon. He sighed, wondering, not for the first time, how he was going to break the news of the invasion to Yue's father.

He felt ashamed at what his father was planning. They had a treaty with the Northern Water Tribe, to break it like this wasn't honourable. His hands fell lightly onto the wheel as he glanced out across the water. It was very still, larger and larger chucks of ice breaking up the endless blue. He knew about icebergs. It wasn't what you could see that you needed to worry about, it was what you couldn't see. He'd have to be careful. But the slow ebb of the water was strangely soothing…

He suddenly jerked awake, looking around with startled eyes. He didn't know how long he'd been dozing or even why he'd fallen asleep. The sun was up, its call had woken him as usual, he should be at his peak, but even now he could feel his eyelids drooping again.

And he was cold. He flexed his fingers which were aching with the chill in them. He lifted them from the wheel, his golden eyes wide as he noticed the fine layer of frost that covered them. Even as he watched it began to thicken and spread up his arms.

"What the…?"

He tried to call on his breath of fire, to move through his basic forms, but his limbs wouldn't respond, they were too numb. And the ice was spreading faster, growing thicker, as if it had a mind of its own.

Then it struck him.

"Wa…aaa…ttt…eeerrr…bbbeeeennn"

His teeth were chattering too much for him to even get the word out.

"It would seem Master Pakku was right." A voice sneered. "Cool a firebender down…nice and slow so he doesn't notice it…and he's useless."

Zuko's eyes tracked towards the man who had spoken, a somewhat grizzled looking individual of indeterminable age decked out in the customary shades of blue of the Water Tribes. Two younger, though no less grizzled looking youths flanked him.

"I'm not…I'm not…" He tried to assure them he was no threat to them or their people, but his tongue and his lips wouldn't cooperate.

"We don't want to hear your Fire Nation lies!" The waterbender growled. Zuko hissed as he felt sharp icicles bite into his skin, though he could barely feel the pain.

"Never had the pleasure of killing one of these pig-monkeys before." One of the youths grinned.

"Won't the Chief want to question him?" The third enquired quietly, obviously not as bloodthirsty as his brethren.

"What the Chief doesn't know..." His young friend replied as he fashioned a tendril of water into a rather wicked looking blade of ice.

The other turned worried eyes on their obvious superior. It was clear the boy did not want the blood of another, even if that other was the enemy, on his hands. But he found no solace in the older man.

"Arnook won't care, so long as this Fire Nation scum doesn't report back to his Fire Lord whatever intelligence he was sent up here to gather."

Zuko's eyes, the only part of him that he still had the ability to voluntarily move, widened. He had expected some distrust from Yue's people on his arrival in their midst, but he hadn't expected them to paralyse him and kill him on sight! And he couldn't plead his case, even if they had been willing to listen to him.

"What is going on here?"

The voice was cool, confident, commanding, and not one he'd ever have expected to escape from Yue's lips. She was standing in the doorway of the tiny boat's cabin looking every inch the princess she was as she glared at the trio of waterbenders imperiously.

"Princess Yue..." The trio bowed their heads respectfully, as stunned to find themselves in her presence as they were to find her in the company of the enemy.

"Release him at once!" She commanded.

"My Lady...he is a firebender." The older man stammered.

"He is my husband."

"He's..." The gentler youth began as he turned wide blue eyes on the shivering man...prince...encased in ice.

Zuko's body had become far too numb for him to feel the ice soften to water and flow away. The strength in his muscles flowed with it, but as he began to crumple to the deck, Yue was there to break his fall.

"Your Highness, allow me..." The man offered, only to back off at the steely look in his princess's eyes.

"You have done quite enough!" She snapped. "I will see to the wellbeing of my husband. You will guide this craft home to my father!"

With that, she draped Zuko's arm over her shoulder, and despite his larger size and weight, managed to manoeuvre him across the deck and into the cabin, shoving the door closed behind them with her foot.

Once alone, they all but fell into the furs strew across the bed as she was no longer able to bare his weight.

"I'm sorry..." He rasped in a hoarse whisper.

"Don't be." She silenced him with a finger against his lips, her face pinching as she felt their tremble, their coldness. "This is not your fault." She stroked his face reassuringly for a moment before reaching for the ties of his coat.

"What are you doing?" He managed to gasp through chattering teeth, attempting, and failing, to back away from her fingers.

"I have to warm you up." She explained.

"Would that not be better accomplished with my clothes on?" He said primly, the comment made all the more comical by his stammering voice.

"You weren't so shy before." She teased.

"We didn't have a potential audience before." He hissed.

"They won't come in here." She assured him. "Besides, that's not what I had in mind. Your clothes are wet. You're soaked to the skin. You probably already have the chills, if you don't get out of these wet things you'll likely end up with frostbite as well."

"Frostbite?"

"It's when you get so cold parts of you actually die."

"I suppose it would be a good idea to avoid that." He admitted as her fingers began working on the ties of his coat.

It took her a few minutes to struggle him out of his clothes. The water made them heavy and they stuck to him as if glued. And he was too cold and numb to offer anything in the way of assistance. After she had dried him off as best she could...his hair, which she loved so much, proved to be a problem...she wrapped him in a heavy fur before pulling the remaining bedding onto the floor to make a nest of it by the fire. She spread his sodden clothes out on the floor to dry. She could have gotten one of the waterbenders to pull the water from them, but she was far too livid to ask them for their help.

Half helping, half dragging him across the cabin, she got him into the circle of warmth, wrapping herself around him and the furs around them both. She knew the best way to share her body heat with him was skin to skin, but he was skittish enough, and she still might have to deal with the waterbenders on deck.

But she had no time to think about them, only one thing, one person, filled her thoughts. She placed her cheek against his, freezing cold and even paler than usual. His lips were an alarming shade of blue. She pulled him closer, rubbing her hands over his chest and arms to stimulate blood flow. To keep him warm. To keep him alive.

"Don't worry." She whispered. "We'll be home soon. Yugoda will heal you."

She wasn't sure just who she was trying to reassure.

* * *

_Avatar: The Last Airbender_ and all related characters are © of Bryan Konietzko, Michael DiMartino, Nickelodeon and Viacom International Inc


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